


Marble and Grease

by just_another_nemo



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, M/M, Past Abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Slow Burn, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-07
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:33:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 37,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25757413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/just_another_nemo/pseuds/just_another_nemo
Summary: Where Ben Solo tries to make a life for himself by starting his own business, and Rey chases her dream of being a mechanic, and eventually, an engineer. Lots of drama, angst, and fluff to ensue. (Shameless fluff and hurt!comfort is where I live.)
Relationships: Poe Dameron/Finn, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 6
Kudos: 13





	1. No Way But Forwards

**Author's Note:**

> This is a Star Wars modern!AU of mostly sequel trilogy characters. EDIT: I have changed SW planet names to U.S. cities (i.e. Coruscant changed to New York). On another note, my plans and vision keep changing, but I think I finally found one that I'm happy with and will be excited to write. These first few chapters will be slow, especially 1-3, but it will speed up, eventually; I promise.  
> This work is just for fun and I write in my free time, so uploads might not be regular once I return to school.  
> I claim no rights to Star Wars or the Star Wars characters.
> 
> Enjoy my work and feel free to leave a kudos and/or comment!

Ben walked around the small, empty office, looking for something that he may not find. He dragged a finger along the top of the cubicle dividers, taking a thick layer of dust with him. In the cubicles were old, simple desks with a large dinosaur computer atop each one. The old office chairs at each desk were not in any better shape. The seats and back cushions were a faded, puke green color and some had wheels that no longer turned.

Ben sat in one of the seats, and the plastic groaned in protest beneath him. He looked out the large windows that made the front of the small business; they had just recently been cleaned, and a new decal had been placed on the windows which read: Red Skull Medical Supplies and Medical Bill Auditing. He had received funny looks when he had chosen the name, but he didn’t regret it for a second. Ben knew that the unique name would stand out from the other big business generic names, and he hadn’t wanted to fall into line with “normal” expectations. This was his business, so he would run it and name it the way he deemed fit. Also, he just liked the name.

He turned slowly in his seat which caused a loud, continuous squeak to fill the room until he finally stopped. Everything in the tiny office needed to either be repaired or replaced, but he just didn’t have the money or funding to do so. He had tried. He had spent his full budget trying to fill the office and to get the best supplies that he could for the business with his rather miniscule finances. He had tried fixing the air conditioning to the best of his ability, but ended up just buying multiple fans until he could afford to hire a professional to fix the broken unit. 

Ben stood slowly from the seat, silently praying that it wouldn’t break beneath him. Standing up, he could take in the sight of the whole office, of course, there wasn’t really much to take in. The room was small and dingy. The main office was just one room, and the only real office was a small room in the front corner of the business that lacked a door for the doorway. Ben walked into the tiny room and took in the sight of the sorry excuse of an office. The desk was larger than the ones in the main room, but not by much, and the computer sitting on the desk was the same kind as the ones sitting on all the other desks. His chair was larger than the ones in the main room, but he suspected that he would be in the office much longer than his future employees. The only decoration in the room was a small American flag that was placed inside of an oak base that had been shaped into a leaning pyramid. The base stood out from the rest of the office due to its shining wood and overall nice quality. The colors of the flag and sheen of the wood gleamed in the otherwise dingy and dusty office.

With a defeated sigh, he nearly collapsed into the large black faux leather office chair, which was beginning to peel and fade. Nothing about the office was comfortable or attractive, yet it was still better than his apartment. He hadn’t made much from his previous job, and it had not helped his predicament at all. Sighing, Ben tucked a fist under his chin as he spun in his seat from side to side, debating whether or not he had made the right choice in starting a business from scratch.

He could lose it all; although, it wasn't like he had much to lose in the first place. That’s what got him into this situation in the first place, wasn’t it? He had nowhere else to turn, so trying to follow his dreams had seemed like the best idea. He had no family to return to, and he had nowhere to go. That was how his life had been for a long time, and he knew that was never going to change. Because of this, he knew that he would have to make his own way in the world, and if he failed? So what? He had no one else in his life, so his failure wouldn’t affect anyone else. Also, if he failed, he’d just have to start over- again. What was one more time?  
Staring at the small flag that stood still in his office, he began to remember everything that had brought him to that moment. He knew that there was no opportunity to go back in time, and even if there was, he wouldn’t have taken it. He had already committed so much time, effort, and money into this business. He was going to see it through, no matter where that would lead. It wasn’t like it could get any worse from where he was, anyways.

  


Rey stared at the ceiling fan and listened to its thrumming as she laid awake in bed. She had gone to bed nearly an hour before, but her mind refused to let her sleep. Her eyes kept drifting to the fast food uniform that was laying on the spare chair in the corner of the room. She wasn’t happy. She knew she had made the right decision in leaving her small, podunk town, Arizona, but now she felt more lost than ever. She continued to drift from shabby motel to shabby motel, as if that was all her life would ever hold. Finally, she was able to get a small apartment in New York, but it was expensive living; and her neighbors had been arguing for the past twenty minutes.

She had finally gotten to the city she had dreamed of for so long, but at that moment, she wasn’t sure she had made the right decision. Getting to New York had been more difficult than she had anticipated, and even when she got there, she found that the cost of living was high, and not just financially. In all reality, she could achieve her dream anywhere, and it would be easier everywhere else, anyways. However, she had always wanted to move to the city, to give it a try, to see if she could make it out there in the big world. So far, she wasn’t happy with her results. Despite all that, she wasn’t ready to give up. Not yet, anyways.

She had always been good with cars, and machines in general, but she lacked the education required to be hired by any respectable company. She would just have to rely on her skills and confidence to get her starting positions, which would eventually lead to experience and wisdom, and she hoped that it would be enough.

Although, not everything had been bad. She had made friends while volunteering at a shelter on the opposite end of town. It was still outside of the main tourist area, but it could be considered the nicer part of the slums. While there, a dark man with large, expressive eyes had immediately introduced himself to her and had started showing her around the pantry and the parts of the shelter that she could enter. She quickly discovered that he was very social, continuously talking to her and having short and friendly conversations with everyone he came by. She had found his kindness a warm difference against the cold of the city. Not long after she had met Finn, Poe had entered the pantry. 

It seemed that both men had large personalities, but still managed to be quite different. Finn was like sunshine and warm water, while Poe was like a tropical storm near a warm, sunny vacation spot that may or may not miss. He wasn’t entirely destructive, but his presence was definitely always known. She knew that he could, and did, rub some people the wrong way, but she liked his darker humor and bravado; it was at least entertaining if nothing else. Although the shorter man was definitely full of himself, she could not deny that he cared deeply for his own. He also had a warm heart to most people, but he wasn’t as accepting as Finn was.

The two had quickly accepted Rey, and they had given her a warmness that she didn’t know existed. For the first time in her entire life, she felt like she belonged, not in the city or at the shelter, but with them. The two were obviously close, being a couple, but they had no trouble making Rey feel like an equal third in the group. 

There were others at the shelter that Rey had been friendly with and that she had enjoyed, but Poe and Finn had accepted her immediately. She had continued to volunteer at the shelter every Saturday morning so that she could spend time with them. After a few weeks, they began hanging out at Poe and Finn’s place after they all got off work. They had asked to come over to Rey’s apartment, but she would always think of an excuse so they wouldn’t. Her apartment was small and not nearly as nice as Poe and Finn’s place. It wasn’t that she was ashamed of her place; rather, she knew that the two men would not approve of her lack of furniture, decorations, and her barely functioning appliances. The apartment was a temporary stay, so she didn’t want to put too much money, effort, and memories into the place. She didn’t like getting attached to things, especially ones she knew wouldn’t last long.

However, she was never able to kill the hope that good memories and experiences would happen. She hoped she would remember the small dinky apartment with a feeling of fondness. She didn’t like to leave places or people behind like they were nothing; she understood what that felt like. But she was determined to make her life in New York different from her previous life in Arizona.


	2. Humble Beginnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An average night for two lonely souls in New York City.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know about this one. I just wanted to give a teensy glimpse into their lives, especially Ben's. The next chapter is much longer and almost finished- I think. I have finals coming up soon so chapters 2 and 3 will be it for about 3 weeks.  
> Feel free to leave Kudos and/or a comment! They make my day. Thanks for reading!

[Ben]

Ben sighed as he slid his backpack from his shoulders and let it fall gently to the floor. He rolled his shoulders and loud pops filled the empty apartment. Ben used the doorframe to keep himself upright as he toed off his worn dress shoes and slid them beneath the small end table placed at the entrance of his apartment. On top of the table was a small plastic black bowl that he carelessly tossed his keys into before heading straight to the fridge. 

He had accidentally worked straight through his lunch break, and by the time he realized how hungry he was, it was already two hours before closing; so, he had decided to press on, and he ended up accidentally staying over, again. Now, it was nearly nine o’clock at night, and he hadn’t eaten since seven that morning. To say that he was hungry would have been an understatement. And this night had not been the first time he had come home hungry from skipping lunch; rather, it was starting to become the norm. He decided that it was probably for the best though, because it kept him from spending too much money on food. Besides, trying to keep his business up and from crashing and burning miserably was more important than a thirty minute lunch break.

However, his stomach seemed to disagree with his ideals as it growled loudly while he tossed a tray of chicken strips into the still preheating oven. Ben crossed his arms on top of the counter and let his full weight rest on top of the counter, mostly sure that he wouldn’t break the old cabinets. He groaned as he rested his head on his arms and let himself relax for a moment- just a moment. He had been working as often as he could and doing as much as he could so that he wouldn’t have to pay someone else to do it. He knew that he wouldn’t be able to keep it up forever, but for now it would have to do.

Ben groaned again as the pulsing in his head made itself more known. His head had been aching all day, but that wasn’t really a surprise considering that he ran on five hours of sleep and at least four cups of coffee a day. This, paired with his gym routine and the overworking wasn’t doing his health any favors, but he could fix that later. For now, he could deal with the headaches and missed meals. Later, when his business was successful, he would be able to have a normal sleep schedule and not skip lunches, but that was later. He was currently in the now, and the present wasn’t as kind. 

A sharp beeping caught Ben’s attention, and he looked up to see that the oven had finally reached its 375 degrees fahrenheit. He finally stood from his place at the counter and started walking down the short hallway to his bedroom. There, he peeled off his cheap button up shirt that he had gotten from the local Goodwill and tossed it into the clothes hamper. Next were the charcoal dress pants that also came from the local Goodwill. Ben didn’t care where his clothes came from at the moment, but he did his best to look as professional as he could manage. He shined his shoes and ironed his clothes, but he refused to cut his hair shorter than ear length. At that moment, his hair was down slightly past his chin, and he wanted it to grow just a bit more before he cut it again. He liked the length because it covered his large ears, and it also brought a balance to his generally large and long features. 

His stomach growled again, reminding him of the chicken strips still in the oven. He cursed beneath his breath as he hurriedly slipped on a pair of thin plaid pajama bottoms and a heavily worn long sleeve shirt, both black, of course. He slipped across his linoleum kitchen floor as quick as he could so that he could finally retrieve his dinner. He quickly grabbed a thin rag and pulled the hot tray from the oven and practically dropped it onto the stove top as the metal burned him through the thin rag. He cursed, louder this time, as he wiped his hands on his pants trying to lessen the pain as he searched for a plate. 

Once he had all of his chicken strips and a bit of barbeque sauce on his plate, he finally collapsed onto his loveseat, careful not to spill the hot food. Ben had never had much patience, and he quickly shoveled the still hot chicken strips into his mouth. He huffed air out of his mouth as the chicken burned his mouth and tongue, but he was too hungry to care. The poor chicken never stood a chance, and Ben quickly had every piece devoured.

Ben stared at the plate in his lap, trying to find the motivation to get up and clean it. Finally, the thought of having to do it in the morning had him up and soon the few dirty dishes were cleaned. After Ben turned off the water, his eyes once again went to the fridge, but he shook his head. He wasn’t that hungry; he’d be fine.

Ben looked around the empty apartment, trying to think of something to do, anything to keep his mind from running away from him. However, he quickly realized that he didn’t have anything to do besides watch tv, which didn’t sound all that appealing. However, running his own business kept him busy most of the time, leaving no time for hobbies. Ben briefly thought about going to the gym, but he lacked the motivation and didn’t want to change out of his pajamas. With a defeated sigh, he retrieved his phone charger from his bedroom and plugged his phone in, setting it on the small, beat-up end table that he had gotten from a garage sale. He practically collapsed onto the worn, brown, leather loveseat that he had gotten from a previous co-worker's brother. He had cleaned the loveseat multiple times trying to get the smell of beer and cigarettes out. Eventually, he was able to minimize the scent, and he had plug in scents that helped give the apartment a ‘clean linen’ smell. It was plain, generic, and a bit overpowering, but he preferred it over the stale beer and cigarettes. 

He set his alarm for six the next morning and switched on the television. He mindlessly scrolled through some Netflix titles until he settled on a documentary about cars over the years. The tv screen glitched every now and then, and sometimes the sound would go in and out. The tv, like nearly everything else in the apartment, had been bought at a cheap price because someone had wanted to get rid of it. The tv had come from another previous co-worker from the same job who had been moving in with his boyfriend and needed to get rid of some old junk. Ben had been happy to take it off his hands and to finally have something that would fill the silence of the night. When it got too quiet at night, every worry and second thought would fill Ben’s mind, keeping him up until sunrise. Now, at least, he had the continuous droning of the tv to fill the quiet. 

Soon, Ben’s quiet snores filled the small, drab, empty apartment. He had fallen asleep with his limbs sprawled in every direction; he had one arm up and against the back of the loveseat, the other down towards the floor, and he had one leg hanging over the armrest and the other draped over the back of the loveseat. He found it difficult to get comfortable in his small bed and even more so on the loveseat, but the loveseat was closer to the television. Because of this, he spent more nights sprawled on the loveseat than in his own bed.

[Rey]

“You live in this dump?” The shorter man, Poe, had asked. 

Rey rolled her eyes. “Thanks a lot.”

Poe held his hands up in a display of innocence. “Hey, I’m just speaking the truth. I mean, the front door barely works. It would take someone almost no effort at all to bust in.”

“He does have a point,” Finn agreed as he stared at the small microwave as it shook and whirred as it warmed up Rey’s dinner, two bean burritos. “I think your microwave is about to explode.”

“Hey, it gets me through. And I told you that you probably didn’t want to visit my apartment anyway.”

Poe frowned at the old furniture that had obviously come from a questionable flea market. “I thought you were exaggerating. I didn’t realize the situation was this dire.”

“You’re so dramatic,” she scoffed with another large eye roll. “And I told you that I don’t like to have a lot of stuff; I just want what I need to get by.”

“That’s fine, but with less stuff you’d think you would at least get better quality stuff. I mean, Finn’s right, I think your microwave is about to explode.”

Rey understood what they meant. A slight burning smell did fill the kitchen everytime she used it; perhaps they did have a point.  
“Anyways,” she started, wanting to change the subject, “Thank you for the ride over. I didn’t know that it was supposed to pour all night.”

“Do you ever check your phone?” Poe asked.

Rey shrugged. “Hey, I was raised in a desert, okay. I’m not used to the rain.”

“It was no problem,” Finn says with a shrug before Poe can reply. “Just let us know if you ever need a ride. If we’re close we’ll come get you.”

“Thanks,” Rey said a bit awkwardly, not accustomed to this amount of kindness.

“You about ready to go?” Poe asked, almost at the same time as Rey spoke. “I’m ready for some pizza and college football.”

Finn rolled his eyes, but everyone in the room knew that he was just as excited as Poe was. Finn looked over at Rey questioningly.

“Go ahead. I don’t think I want to be around while you watch the game,” Rey said, looking at Poe.

“Your loss,” he replied with his usual smirk. “We’ll see you later, alligator.”

Finn gave Rey a quick hug as he said, “Bye, Rey. See ya later.”

Rey smiled warmly and waved them goodbye as they walked out the door, “Bye guys.”

As soon as the door was shut, Rey sighed and sagged in relief. She loved those two idiots, she really did, but sometimes she needed a break. She blamed it on her childhood, having grown up alone. She had become independent quickly and found peace in solitude. Of course, she got lonely at times, but she always knew that she could count on herself. 

Now, she had friends. Poe and Finn were friendly and had grown fond of her quite quickly. She too, found that she enjoyed their company and their banter. Over the six months that they had been friends, they had grown close and the two men had become quite protective over her. She understood why and knew that they meant well. After all, she was a rather small, young woman in a large, and at times dangerous, city. However, the two could be overbearing at times, especially Finn. He loved everyone in his life fiercely, having grown up without a family, much like Rey. However, the experience had softened Finn while it had hardened Rey. Finn showed compassion to everyone because he had not received any as a child, and he didn’t want others to feel the way he had. Rey, on the other hand, was kind but still kept most people at arm’s length, unwilling to be left behind again once they inevitably grew bored of her.

Rey sighed again, but this time it wasn’t from relief. Now, the apartment seemed too still and empty without Poe and Finn’s banter. She knew that inviting them over would be a mistake, but she was determined to fill the little apartment with at least a few good memories. She knew this evening wouldn’t be filed under that category, but she knew that other nights with her two idiots would. 

The obnoxious beeping of her dying microwave pulled Rey out of her thoughts. She cringed as her soaked sneaker squelched across the floor. She pulled the two misshapen burritos from the microwave and set the plate on the counter to cool. Rey then slid off her sneakers and carried them to her room, trying to keep as much water from hitting the carpet as she could.  
Once she was in the safety of her room, she tossed her shoes into the bathroom and looked for the warmest pair of pajamas that she owned. Soon, Rey was walking towards the kitchen with a set of yellow flannel pajamas on, dog shaped slippers, and a towel on her head. Now, she was ready for the rest of the night. Although, there really wasn’t much to her night. She’d have her unevenly cooked burritos, watch random videos on Youtube, then go to bed. She realized she really needed a hobby.

[Ben]

Ben shot up with a sharp gasp. He sucked in a breath and tried to find his balance, but he ended up falling to his side, resting against the back of the sofa. He sat there for a moment, just trying to breathe and block the dream out of his head, although dream didn’t feel like the appropriate word. He could feel his heart racing against his ribs and his breaths sounded impossibly loud in his ears. If he opened his eyes, he knew that his knuckles would be white from his grip on the back of the sofa. The screams that had haunted his dreams for a decade now still echoed in his ears, and red seemed to be everywhere. He closed his eyes against it and tried to breathe through it.

Slowly, his grip loosened, and both his heart rate and breathing slowed to a manageable pace. Finally, he released his grip on the loveseat and fell back until his back hit the worn cushions. Ben wiped a hand down his face, and he grimaced at the feeling of sweat against his palm. He shivered from the cold of the drab apartment; the heating unit had broken, but no one had come to fix it yet. Ben didn’t mind too much, unless he was awake in the middle of the night from a nightmare. Then, the cold made it difficult to fall back asleep, but that night, Ben didn’t think he would be able to anyways. 

Ben grabbed the tv remote with a shaking hand and changed the channel to a sports channel that was showing reruns and highlights from a college football game. Ben didn’t care for either of the teams, but he guessed he should appreciate them for the night for filling the silence. 

He turned up the volume a few decibels before setting the remote on the floor and quickly moving his hand back into the warmth of the blanket. He tried to rub some warmth back into arms while he watched a young freshman fumble an easy catch. At least the game had been entertaining. It should be able to keep him occupied for at least an hour. Surely he had more than an hour before he should get up and go to the gym, though.

Did he dare look at the time? With a sigh, Ben sat up slightly and peered over the back of the loveseat to see the time on the stove. The numbers 01:38 illuminated the stove a faint green. Ben groaned in defeat and fell back against the cushions, harder this time. The game had looked interesting, but not four plus hours interesting. He doubted he would be able to fall back asleep, the images from his dreams still behind his eyes. 

However, within thirty minutes, Ben’s breaths had evened out once more, and the hair that had fallen onto his face blew with every breath. His arms and legs were drawn in for warmth, and the chatter of the sports hosts filled the room along with quiet snores. Every now and then, sharp gasps and mumbles would replace the snores, but the exhausted man slept through the rest of the night until his alarm startled him awake that morning.


	3. Garden Variety

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a garden variety week for two lonely souls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, this one got away from me. I wanted to give a 'small' glimpse into their daily lives and situations before the story actually beings, and it turned out much longer than I expected. I did not have time to proofread this chapter, so please let me know if I need to edit! Also, since most of my classes are done for this semester, there will likely be more chapters to come, at hopefully a faster pace. Leave Kudos and a comment, they make my day!  
> Anyways... Enjoy! :)

[Ben]

Ben ran a frustrated hand through his hair, disheveling it even more. He doubted that the day could get any worse, but he knew that there was always a way. He stared down at the profit summary sitting on his desk while he mentally did the math for his own bills. He knew there were things that he could cut out, but he didn’t want to revert back to his old habits. He knew that he shouldn’t cut out lunches again, and he didn’t really want to end his gym membership either. It helped to keep him busy and his mind quiet. And skipping lunches and only eating small dinners hadn’t ended too well, either. He had been shaky and tired all of the time and constantly plagued by severe headaches. The coffee addiction still caused some headaches and rare moments of shakiness, but he had found that eating regular meals made working through the day a lot easier.

Looking at the summary, he could feel his anxiety increase, so he closed his eyes, trying to block it out for a moment. He forced himself to take a deep breath before looking down at the summary again. On his phone, he quickly found how much money he’d have left at the end of the month. It wasn’t much, sure, but it was enough for him to not go bankrupt- yet. Granted, he couldn’t continue making the same profit on a regular basis, but he knew every business had ups and downs. The previous months had done fairly well, and he had been smart enough to save the money instead of immediately buying a new computer or two. At that moment, he was glad that he had. He hadn’t wanted to wait to buy the new computers, knowing that they would help speed up the business, but he knew it would be better to save the money in the long run. 

Remembering the saved up money from the previous months, Ben released his breath in a long, quiet sigh. He’d be fine. He would have enough money to continue eating two or three meals a day and to go to the gym, and he’d continue saving for a laptop. 

“Mr. Solo.” Ben’s head snapped up at the call of his name; he still wasn’t used to going by ‘Mr. Solo’. 

“Yes?” He asked, and he hoped it hadn’t come out rude.

The employee didn’t seem bothered at all, at least, not with him. “We have three new clients, and one would like to have a meeting with you tomorrow morning.”

Ben nodded. “Good, that’s good.” He pushed his hair back once again and laid back against the backrest. “And yeah, I’ll talk to the client, Debbie. Can I have a name?”

Debbie sighed in apparent relief, and Ben had to hold in a sigh. This client was going to be fun. “Can I direct the call to your office?”

“That would be fine.” She was about to walk out when Ben called after her, “fun client?”

She huffed a humorless laugh, “Oh yeah, you’re going to have a blast tomorrow.”

Ben huffed his own chuckle. He offered his employee a small smile. “Alright, send ‘em my way.” She smiled in return before leaving his office. She shuffled out in her usual style that reminded Ben of a stereotypical grandmother. She certainly had the look of one, with her loose fitting khakis and older-style blouses, typically with a flower pattern on them. She had large beaded and fake pearl necklaces, purple glasses with a string that went around her head, and she wore the same light red lipstick and faint purple eyeshadow everyday. She had her graying hair dyed an orangish blonde and permed on a regular basis. Debbie had pictures of her family and cats sitting on her desk, and all of her desk supplies had flower designs similar to the blouses she wore. She had a grandmotherly presence that made her easy to like; even Ben was fond of her.

Soon, his phone was ringing, breaking him from his thoughts, and he saw that the screen showed the call was a redirect. He took a deep breath and answered the phone, “Hello, This is Ben of Red Skull Medical Supplies and Medical Bill Auditing; how may I help you?” Ben glanced up when he saw Debbie bustle back into the entrance of the room.

“I’d like to speak to the manager of the establishment,” said a coarse, older voice.

“This is he,” Ben replied.

“Are you sure?” the lady asked.

Ben rolled his eyes. “Yes, ma’am, This is Ben Solo, owner of Red Skull; how may I help you?” He heard Debbie chuckle, obviously amused by his pain.

“Well, I heard you guys do cheap hospital bill auditing. How much do you guys cost?”

“That depends on the situation, ma’am. It costs forty-five dollars for a sit down meeting and for us to review your hospital bill and financial situation. We will discuss further meetings and a plan for paying off the bills at the meeting.”

“Forty-five for the first one then?” The woman repeated, and Ben could hear the thick Southern drawl clear for the first time.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Now, if my daughter wanted to go through you all as well, would she be able to attend the same meeting?”

“How old is your daughter?”

“Thirty-eight.”

Ben rolled his eyes again and ran his hand through his hair, keeping it there this time. “Are the bills separate?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Then no. You will each have to pay forty-five dollars and have separate meetings. Now, we can schedule you for the same time, if that would be more convenient.”

“You’re the owner, correct?”

Ben had to hold in his irritated sigh. “Yes I am, ma’am.”

“Then we both want our meetings with you.”

Internally, Ben was ready to slam his head on the desk and leave it there for the rest of the week, but he knew that wasn’t exactly ‘professional’ behavior. “That’s fine, but one will have to go first.”

“Can’t we just meet at the same time?” the woman argued.

Ben’s fingers knotted in his hair and pulled slightly. “Yes, ma’am, you can. However, you will still be charged forty-five dollars each.”

He heard a loud huff over the line that caused him to flinch away from the phone. “Now, why the hell would we have to do that. It’s just one meeting instead of two.”

Ben tightened his grip on his hair before releasing it to rub his hand down his face. He heard his employee chuckle once again, but softer this time. “Correct, but, the meeting will have to last longer since I will be covering two separate orders, and both orders will have to be reviewed by my employees. Although the meeting will take the place of two, I am still working on two separate orders.”

Another loud huff filled his ear. “Fine, whatever. What time do you open tomorrow?”

“I open the doors at eight a.m., ma’am.”

“Alright, we’ll be there at eight, then.”

“May I have a name?”

“Trisha Banks,” the gruff southern voice filled his ears once more.

He quickly scrawled the name onto a sticky note. “And your daughter’s?”

“Beverly Mall.”

Ben wrote that name down as well, adding (daughter) next to it. “Thank you, ma’am, for choosing Red Skull. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow morning.”

The line clicked, and Ben sighed in frustration. He set the phone down and rested back in his office chair. His employee laughed out loud fully this time.

“Something funny, Debbie?” he asked. He knew most people would think he was being serious, but Debbie laughed once more. She had been the only employee to get his dry humor right away, and he could appreciate her efforts of kindness towards him.

“Have a fun date planned for tomorrow?”

Ben rolled his eyes. “Oh yes, a mother and a daughter.”

Debbie laughed again. “Getting double teamed?” He nodded. She chuckled and stepped further into the room. “What wa-”

Ben’s watch vibrated loudly against his desk and he cursed beneath his breath as he quickly turned the alarm off. “Sorry,” he offered. “I had to start setting an alarm for my lunch break.”  
Debbie sat in the uncomfortable looking guest chairs that were placed in front of his desk. 

“You’re alright, hun. At least you’re eating lunch now.”

Ben rolled his eyes. “Hey, it’s easy getting caught up in work when it’s your own business.”

Debbie chuckled. “Be quiet and eat your lunch.”

Ben laughed as he grabbed his lunch box that he stowed beneath his desk. “Yes, ma’am.” Ben made quick work of his ham sandwich, and Debbie laughed in amusement.

“So,” she started, trying to change the subject, “you ready for your clients first thing in the morning?”

Ben laughed humorlessly around the bread in his mouth. “Of course. She wants to have the meeting at the same time as her daughter, who is thirty eight, by the way. And she got pissy when I told her that I would still have to charge them each forty-five.”

“Well, of course you do; they’re two separate cases.”

“Exactly,” Ben replied before finishing off the sandwich. 

Debbie laughed, “Boy, do you even chew your food?”

Ben shrugged. “Not sure.”

The room became quiet as Ben tore through the rest of his lunch, and Debbie checked her phone for messages and emails. Ben didn’t mind her presence, but he found the silence a bit uncomfortable. So, after he finished off the rest of his lunch, he did his best to start up another conversation.

“Have you had your lunch yet, Debbie?”

The elder woman nodded, “Oh, yes. I finished right before that woman called.”

Ben held in a chuckle. “Not very kind to you, then?”

Debbie set her phone in her lap and straightened in her seat. “Oh, I’ll have you know that woman has no manners and absolutely no respect.” Debbie scoffed in her anger, and Ben had to hold back a smile. “That woman kept telling me ‘I need to talk to the manager right now’, and I kept asking her what she needed. I told her that any of the employees could help set up an appointment with you, that you didn’t have to set up the appointment yourself. But oh no, she had to talk to you and set up the appointment with you.” Debbie scoffed again. 

This time, Ben couldn’t hold back a chuckle. “You should’ve directed her over sooner.”

Debbie shrugged. “Usually, I can get them calmed down enough to listen to the voice of reason, but this woman wasn’t having it. And you have an appointment with her and her daughter tomorrow?” Ben simply nodded at the question. “Well, Force have mercy on you. I bet the daughter’s just as bad, if not worse; people these days, not knowing how to raise kids properly.” Ben smirked at the comment. “They don’t have any manners, so how can they teach their kids any?”

Ben chuckled again while he set his lunch box back under his desk and set his thermos on top of his desk. He unscrewed the top and sipped at the now lukewarm black coffee.

“Boy, you and your coffee. I don’t know how you sleep.”

“I’ll sleep when I’m dead,” Ben replied with a lazy wave of his hand.

Debbie shook her head. “Son, if you’re not careful, it’ll be sooner rather than later.” Ben barely managed to hold in his jerk at the pet name. “The way you drink your coffee, barely eat, and work yourself to death, you’ll be lucky if you make it past fifty.”

Ben sat back in his seat and shrugged. “I’ll rest when I can afford to do so. Besides, running this business helps keep me busy and something to look after and grow. I can change my life and others’, and it’ll be easier once the company begins growing.”

Debbie rolled her eyes. “Money isn’t everything, hun.”

“I know,” Ben replied with a slow nod. “But, right now, this job, this company, is all I have and it’s a lot more than what I used to.”

Debbie was quiet for a moment after that. She nodded slowly then responded in a slow, careful voice, “I can understand that, but I don’t want you to miss out on life. That’s all.”

“I know, and I don’t want to, either. Sometimes, you gotta work your way there.”

Debbie looked down at her watch and stood from her seat. “I better get back to work. Don’t work  
yourself too hard.”

Ben waved her off then turned back to his computer. The number of appointments for the next day had increased from three to seven, including the two women coming in first thing in the morning. That was good; that was progress. It gave him confidence that his company could move forward, eventually. 

[Rey]

Rey sighed in annoyance as she once again rescanned the barcode on the “flea off” dog collar and it rang up “unrecognized” once more.

“Welp, I guess it’s free then,” the man, probably in his mid forties, joked.

Rey forced a fake laugh before calling the manager up to the register.

Betsy, in all of her overly permed 80’s hair glory, walked up to the register with a look of disdain on her face. Her slumped over posture, slow pace, and loud pops of bubble gum worked together to show everyone how much she truly did not care- at all. She always smelled of hairspray, cigarettes, and cheap perfume, and she almost always had on a pair of leather pants, a neon shirt, and some form of black boots. She had asked corporate if the store’s shirts could be brighter, and so they gave her neon polos for the employees’ work uniforms. Which explained why Rey was wearing a garish neon green polo that hurt her eyes every morning. 

“What’s the problem?” Betsy asked. Her voice always droned and extended every word more than necessary, and she often slightly slurred her words together.

“The collar isn’t ringing up.”

Betsy rolled her eyes and sighed heavily. “Fine, I’ll do it. Go get the man’s dog.”

“Okay,” Rey replied shortly, quickly leaving the middle aged woman to annoy someone else. Betsy owned this particular “Pet Groom & Care'', although it was a chain company. She had to obey corporate’s rules, but she got to choose how to promote the business, how to interact with the community, and apparently the colors of the work polos. The kicker was, Betsy didn’t even like animals, especially dogs; she found them loud, dirty, irritating, and revolting. She thought they required too much care and attention, but she also thought that cats were too independent to be pets. Rey never understood how she could run a business that she didn’t care about, but that wasn’t any of her business. 

Rey opened the doors to the pet grooming salon at the back of the store to retrieve the man’s chihuahua. The small, chestnut demon growled at her from its place on the center table, where it was currently leashed to the shower rod. 

“Good luck with that one,” May, a fellow employee, warned her. May was quiet, but offered a friendly ear to Rey’s, and everyone’s, rants. Rey had always thought that she deserved better than that place.

“Yeah, I’m gonna need it.”

Rey grabbed a treat from the cabinet and gave it to the obviously upset chihuahua so that the dog would have something else to chew on besides her. The dog, Butters was his name, instantly latched onto the treat and growled at her as she came closer to untie the leash.

“Shush, I am trying to help you!”

May laughed from her spot at the opposite end of the room, and Rey looked up to see her washing a calm miniature schnauzer. Butters’ growls brought her back to the present, and she finished untying his leash. She gently picked up the small devil and set him gently on the floor, thankful for the treat in his mouth.

Butters continued to gnaw on the small twisted treat as Rey led him out of the salon and up to the registers. Butters trotted through the store until he caught sight of his owner, and his pace quickly increased; she had to jog to keep up with him. Rey handed the leash over to the owner with a large, forced smile on her face.

“Was he a good boy?” the man asked. Butters sat on the floor with his tail high and large eyes peering up with pure love at his owner.

“Oh, he was just a little angel,” Rey forced through her teeth.

However, the man’s beaming smile and the dog’s little tail wags caused Rey to lose some of her tension. The dog had been scared; she couldn’t blame him for that.

The man bent down to pick up the small dog. “Good boy, Butters.” He gave him a scratch behind one of his tall ears. “I see you got a treat.”

Rey was about to respond when Betsy’s shrill voice cut through, “Your total today will be $75.85.”

The man used his free hand to insert his card into the reader. “So he didn’t do too bad for his first time?” The man asked Rey.

Well, that explained a lot. “Not at all,” she answered, this time with a softer smile. “The more you bring him back the more he’ll get used to it and get better around people.”

The man smiled again then glanced down, and Rey realized that he was reading her name tag. “Can I request you for next time, Rey?”

“The dogs are groomed by the employee that is available,” Betsy interrupted.

“Oh,” the now disappointed man looked down. “Well,” he looked back up at Rey, “Thank you, for being understanding.”

Rey offered another small smile. “My pleasure.”

Betsy rolled her eyes. “You can take your card out now,” she squawked at the man.  
The man quickly removed his card and grabbed his bag from the counter. “Thank you. You ladies have a nice day.”

“Thank you; you as well,” Rey replied to the man while Betsy walked off.

Rey did not particularly enjoy her place of employment, due almost entirely to the manager alone, but she enjoyed aspects of it. She liked May, most of the dogs, and the few kind customers that made her day.

She knew her job there was only a temporary thing. She had been looking at local mechanic shops, or at general stores that had a mechanic department. However, that wasn’t panning out at that particular moment in time. But, she’d keep trying, and she’d keep the faith.

[Ben]

Ben fumbled with his keys, trying to find the correct one to open his business doors. His left hand was holding his large piping cup of coffee that he had gotten from a small café down the street, while his right one struggled with the keys.

Finally, he heard the lock turn and pushed the door open. The warm stiff air of the office was an unwelcome greeting, and Ben sighed at the slight annoyance. It was Friday; he should be happy. But no, so far, Ben’s morning had been far from enjoyable. Ben had woken with a headache, and the aspirin he took did absolutely nothing to help, and overall, he just woke up in a sour mood. He wasn’t looking forward to his first clients- at all, and he had a full day ahead of him after that. Ben was ready to crawl back into bed and stay there for a week, but he quickly decided that route probably wasn’t the best to take, however tempting. 

Ben relocked the clear door behind him before making his way to his office. He set his coffee on the desk before going back into the main room and switching all of the plug in fans on. Even at seven in the morning, the air outside was thick, heavy, and overwhelmingly hot. Ben had always preferred the cold, but he didn’t mind the warm weather; however, he did mind the weather that was so hot and humid that it felt like there was already a layer of water and sweat on his skin as soon as he stepped outside. The fact that people genuinely enjoyed this weather annoyed him to no end; although, he was sure they were just as annoyed by his love of snow.

Returning to his office, he switched on his small box fan that sat in the corner of the room. The fan whirred for about two seconds before stopping. The blades had moved about half a revolution. His annoyance climbing, he unplugged the fan then hit it somewhat lightly before plugging it back in. This time, there was no reaction at all. 

“Of course,” Ben muttered under his breath, followed by a few choice words. He unplugged the fan then slumped into his seat, closing his eyes as he tried to relax. This proved to be difficult with the obnoxious headache and still, stifling heat of the office, the fans not yet working their magic. 

Eventually, Ben sat up with a groan and pulled up his clients’ files and began printing them. He could hear the obnoxious whirring of the old printer in the main room, and the headache behind his eyes pulsed more. Ben rubbed at his forehead as he stood and went to retrieve his papers. After a solid two minutes of waiting, Ben sat down at one of the empty desks in the main room and read the files. It was cooler in the main room, and his office seemed impossibly far away at the moment. 

Reading through the files, he could already tell that it was going to be a fun meeting, and he was starting to regret agreeing to do the meeting himself. This is why he hired employees, so he wouldn’t have to argue with difficult people. Ben made himself focus on the case and time finally began to pass by at a rate faster than an army crawl through mud.

Ben was shaken from his work when he heard a rattling knock at the glass double doors. He looked up to see Debbie patiently waiting for him to unlock the door. Ben quickly stood from the creaky seat and instantly regretted it, little black spots dancing across his vision and temporarily taking over. He flipped the lock and held the door open as Debbie bustled in with a cheerful “Good morning.”

“‘Mornin’,” Ben replied without much behind it as he shut the door behind her, trying to keep the heat out of his office. He glanced at his watch to see that he only had fifteen minutes until opening, and the other employees would be there soon. He left the door unlocked and returned to his office where he sipped at his still warm coffee. Ben looked up at a knock to see Debbie standing in his office doorway.

“Yeah?” he asked, his voice coming out gruffer than he expected. He looked away from Debbie’s peering eyes and decided to stare at the words on the files he had printed.

“You look awful.”

Ben chuckled humorlessly. “Thanks, Debbie. You, on the other hand, look as good as ever.” Typically, Debbie took the bait and would tease him back, but this time, there was only silence. Ben looked back up to see Debbie still staring at him. “What?” He asked, trying to keep the impatience from his voice.

“Boy, you look like you’re about to pass out.”

Ben expected her to continue, but she just continued to stare. “I’m fine, Debbie; just a headache.”

Debbie continued to stare him down. “Must be some headache.” Ben just shrugged. “I can take the mother and daughter this morning; I don’t mind. In fact, I’d be glad to,” Debbie offered with a small smirk growing on her face.

Ben wiped a hand down his face and stood, “Nah. Although I know that you wouldn’t mind the change, I don’t think the clients would feel the same. But thank you, for the offer,” Ben finished weakly. He entered the bathroom but used the doorstop to keep it open. Looking in the mirror, he could see what Debbie meant. He splashed cool water on his face and relished at how it temporarily relieved the sweltering heat. 

“Okay,” Debbie conceded, “but, let me know if you change your mind. I’ll be more than happy to return the favor from yesterday.”

Ben wiped the water off his face and fixed his hair. He looked slightly more alive than he had a minute ago, and it would have to do.

As Ben and Debbie talked at her desk, the rest of the employees slowly drudged into the office, and on their heels were two larger women with their light brown hair pulled back into messy ponytails. The shorter of the two had a cigarette in her mouth, but she quickly stomped it out on the sidewalk right outside the business doors. The taller and younger woman had a velcro cast on her right leg which was on a small scooter. The mother wore a bright pink tank top that contrasted sharply with her both pale and sunburnt skin, ripped denim shorts, and bright pink flip flops to match. The daughter wore a white t-shirt with dark stains under the arms and neon green cotton shorts that were also stained. Her unbooted foot was in a neon yellow flip flop, and Ben briefly wondered how the hell she pushed that scooter around in flip-flops. With the two women came the scent of cigarettes, stale alcohol, and a greasy food sort of smell.

A small “fuck” slipped from Ben’s lips, and the nearby employees chuckled. Ben felt Debbie pat his arm as he stood straight and headed towards the doors.

“Good morning,” Ben greeted cheerfully, immediately slipping into customer service mode. He wasn’t as good as Debbie, but he didn’t think anyone could top her, anyways. “Welcome to-”

“Where’s the owner?” the older woman barked. And it indeed did come out as a bark due to her low and scratchy voice. 

“That would be me,” Ben replied with a forced smile. “I’m Ben.” He unwillingly held out his hand in greeting, but, thankfully, the woman ignored it.

“Can we get this over with?” she asked as she looked up at Ben. And Ben had to hold in a chuckle because as much as the woman was trying to be intimidating, she was almost a foot shorter than Ben. What was she going to do; yell at him in his chest?

“Of course, let’s go to my office.”

Ben motioned for them to sit in the chairs across from his desk, and they practically collapsed into the seats. He lowered himself slowly into his seat, trying to maintain some sort of grace.

“So,” Ben started, “Where would you ladies like to start?”

Immediately, both women started talking loudly over each other, and Ben had to hold in a defeated sigh. This was going to be a long meeting.

[Rey]

Rey trudged down the sidewalk towards a café that she had heard only good things about. Apparently, it was family owned and the prices weren’t too bad; also, the owner was a large but friendly man that would talk to anyone that was willing to have a conversation. She was working the later shift at the pet store, so she hadn’t gotten up until eleven that morning. Now, it was twelve thirty and she was going to get breakfast; she didn’t mind working the late shift.

As Rey opened the doors to the café, she was immediately greeted with sweet, sweet air conditioning and the quiet commotion of the busy café. She quickly got into line, hoping that not everyone had come to stay. Luckily, several of the people ahead of her walked out with only a coffee in hand, while some had small bags of pastries or small sandwiches.

When Rey finally got the chance to order, she was greeted with a large man with a red face and a large, bright smile lighting up his stubbled face. “What can I get you, young lady?” His deep voice projected naturally, but Rey immediately liked the kindness of the jolly looking man.

“A medium vanilla cappuccino, please.” He began to write down the order on a slip of paper, “Oh, and a raspberry puff pastry and a ham and cheese melt. Sorry,” she apologized for the interruption.

The large man, Frank, his name tag read, just smiled and shook his head. “Don’t be hun. Your total will be $8.75.” She handed him her debit card, and he quickly swiped it and handed it back to her along with her receipt. “Can I get a name for the order?”

“Rey.”

“With an ‘e’?” he asked her with a raised eyebrow. She nodded, and he quickly jotted her name down. “We’ll call you as soon as your order’s done.”

“Thanks,” she replied. She turned to see an empty table close to the counter and quickly took it before someone else could. She looked down at the receipt and realized the man at the counter was the owner of the business, given as it was called ‘Frank’s Café’. How she hadn’t caught that, she didn’t know. Looking up, Rey saw that the line had mostly died down, with most people ordering a coffee then leaving. Many of the people there seemed to work corporate jobs, given their business clothes and simple and professional hairstyles and makeup. 

Rey looked up when the bell on the front door rang as a straggler of the noon rush walked in. He also fit the description of the other corporate workers, and yet he didn’t. He wore a white dress shirt tucked into black dress pants with black shoes, and that’s where the corporate look ended. The pale man looked darker than most would in the outfit due to the thick, dark hair that fell in waves nearly to his shoulders. It seemed that every feature of the man was large, his nose and ears especially, and he had moles scattered on his face. Matching the rest of his dark outfit was the dark bags under his eyes. In fact, the man looked exhausted and defeated with his shoulders slightly hunched and his back bent.

“Solo!” Rey jumped at the exclamation and turned to see Frank beaming at the man that had just walked in. “Back again?” The man offered him a small smile as he quickly walked up to the register. Rey couldn’t see his face anymore and she pulled out her phone, feigning interest on what was her screen; when, in reality, she was listening to the conversation between the two men at the counter. 

“Another large?” Frank asked.

“Yes, please.” Rey nearly gave herself away and looked up at the man, Solo, apparently. His voice was softer than she was expecting, and it managed to sound both high and low in the same sentence. His voice was gravelly but not deep, almost as if his voice got stuck somewhere in his throat and barely managed to escape to form words.

“Long day?” Frank asked, and Rey could hear the smile in his voice. She also heard the sound of plastic rubbing it against plastic as he swiped a card.

“That obvious?”

Frank laughed at that. “Boy, you look like you just went through the ringer.”

“Hm,” the man hummed, “I did. People never fail to amaze me, and it makes me want to move to the mountains.”

Frank laughed louder this time. “Oh, you like people, just gotta give ‘em a chance sometimes.”

“Not the people I had today,” the man argued. “They make me wish I’d selected a more solitary career.”

“Rey!” Frank called suddenly, and she almost fell out of her seat, not expecting the call. She quickly stood and went to the counter to retrieve her noon breakfast. The tall man looked down at her briefly and took a step to the side, sliding out of her way without a word. 

“Thank you,” Rey said to Frank, somewhat softly, embarrassed of her eavesdropping. However, the men hadn’t seemed to notice, or didn’t care, and continued to carry on with their conversation as she walked back to her seat.

“You’ve never been one for optimism, have you, Solo?” Rey heard the man hum as an answer. “Here’s your coffee. Take it easy, Solo.”

“Have a good weekend, Frank,” the man replied before turning and leaving. Rey watched him go. His stride was far from smooth, and his shoulders rocked up and down alternately with his steps. The man was obviously in a hurry, as he walked down the street with his head down.

“What a ray of sunshine,” Rey said aloud before she could stop herself.

She looked up at the sharp laughter coming from behind the counter. “Oh, Solo’s not that bad. He’s a bit of a loner, but he’s not mean-usually. He’s only mean if you manage to piss him off.”

“Seems easy,” Rey replied.

Frank shrugged. “Not really, he gets annoyed easily, though. He can get angry sometimes, but I’ve personally never seen him pissed off. He’s just tired,” and Frank left it at that as he walked into the kitchen, leaving Rey and the five other people in the café alone.

Rey shrugged and turned her attention to her sandwich and coffee instead. She needed to enjoy the peace of the café before heading to work.

[Ben]

Ben’s leg bounced as he watched the clock at the bottom corner of his computer screen. Typically, he would stay several hours after closing, but today he was exhausted and his headache had only worsened as the day dragged on. Of course, the coffee hadn’t helped, but he had needed a reason to leave the office. The day had been busy, and the constant chatter, stifling heat, and dumb questions from both employees and clients were driving him up the wall. Now, it was 15:58, and all the clients had left, and Ben could hear his employees in the main room gathering their things, ready to leave for the weekend. Ben himself didn’t have any plans, except for sleeping in, and that was a vacation in its own right. 

Ben looked up at a sharp knock on his doorframe, and once again Debbie stood there, studying him from the opposite end of the room.

“Yeah?” he asked, and he wasn’t able to keep the annoyance from his voice.

Debbie ignored the attitude and asked, “How late are you staying tonight?”

Ben stood from his desk and slung his backpack over one shoulder. He had been leaving it there on weeknights, in an effort to keep himself from overworking every night of the week. “I’m not. I’m done for the day.” Debbie’s eyes widened, as if she was taken aback by the statement. “What?”

Debbie shook her head. “Nothing, I just thought you were on a warpath to self-destruction; that’s all.”

Ben didn’t miss the passive aggressive comment, but he knew that she meant well. “Yes, well, I’ve had enough for one day. I’ll just have to continue the mission Monday.”

Debbie chuckled, and Been saw her smile turn from amusement to something more heart-warming; however, the amused smile quickly returned. “Too much for one day?”

Ben shut off his computer and walked around his desk. “I’ve had enough for a month. Today was awful. I don’t understand people.” Ben knew he was pouting, but Debbie just seemed even more amused. She chuckled at both his words and his face as she stepped out of his way so he could slide through the doorway.

The main room was completely empty, but the small fans filled the room with a dull humming. Ben unwillingly went and unplugged all of the fans, and out of the corner of his eye he could see Debbie doing the same.

Once he was done, he hurriedly opened the doors, and he shut them once Debbie was out of the way.

“Wow, you really are ready to leave.”

Ben ignored the statement because he didn’t feel like repeating himself. “Thanks, Debbie.”

Ben held in a jerk as he felt her pat him on the back of the shoulder. “You’re welcome, hun. I’ll see you Monday.”

“Bye.” And Ben looked up to see her bustling off in her white flowered blouse and pink skirt, her large hair bouncing with her steps. He shook his head in his own amusement and locked the door to his business. He quickly pocketed his keys as he walked down the street to the parking lot where his black and slightly dented 2008 Ford Focus sat. With it being a Friday afternoon, the parking lot was mostly empty, due to most of the workers in the area having already left, and the evening crowd not coming in yet.

Ben cursed as he hit his head while getting into the small car. In reality, he knew the car wasn’t that small, but he was not a small man by any means. He quickly cranked up the air conditioning and turned on the radio; the local rock station was playing a modern rock band he had never heard of, but they weren’t bad. He definitely preferred it over the squeaking of his car. He turned the music down a tad, his headache protesting the loud noise. 

The drive to his apartment took only about ten minutes, but it was sometimes an interesting route, especially at night. Ben didn’t live on the nicer side of the city; he had grown accustomed to sirens and loud pops filling the night. When he would stay late and leave work in the evenings, he would sometimes drive by some interesting crowds. One of his favorite scenes he’d driven by was a group of girls without tops on running from the cops, and he had been rooting for the girls. Today, however, it was hot and everything seemed to be lying still, apparently too hot outside for anyone to do anything. 

By the time Ben pulled into the parking lot outside his building, the air conditioning had just gotten comfortable. Begrudgingly, Ben shut off his car, grabbed his backpack from the passenger seat, and stepped back out into the stifling heat. He squinted against the brightness of the sun as he approached the entrance doors. Next to the doors were two men in white tank tops and dirtied dark jeans. They definitely had a sketchy look to them, but Ben was used to seeing them around. He was pretty sure they lived on the floor above him since he could sometimes hear them shouting in the main hallway above his own.

The two men looked up as he approached, and they slowly slid enough to the side to get out of his way. Ben understood criminals, and he knew that these two guys knew they had met their match. Ben had at least 6 inches on the tallest of the two, and he also had the build and intimidation factor. The two men were short and thin, with only lean muscle covering their thin frames. Ben was sure that they also recognized him from many days occurring the same as this one. 

Opening the doors and walking past the two men, Ben walked straight to the elevator and was relieved when the doors immediately opened. He quickly stepped inside and hit the button for the fourth floor, and he nearly sighed aloud in relief when no one came up trying to barge into the elevator. The elevator groaned as it climbed to the second highest floor of the old building. The elevator smelled of cigarette smoke and its own unique stink, but Ben had become used to it.

The elevator jerked to a halt, and Ben quickly walked to the last door on the left side of the hallway and let himself into his apartment. The sweet quiet was a welcome greeting from the shabby apartment. Ben slinked off his shoes, threw his keys into their bowl, and quickly made his way to the medicine cabinet. He knew that he was only supposed to take two ibuprofen, but he went ahead and downed four. He was a large guy, he was sure it wouldn’t hurt. And if it did? Who cared? Certainly not him.

[Rey]

Rey walked across the empty parking lot towards her white 2006 Honda Civic. She hated that car with a passion, but it was the best thing she could buy on her budget. She supposed she should be grateful for the still running air conditioning. With a sigh, she slid into the driver seat and pulled the buns out of her hair, letting the hair fall past her shoulders and letting it land wherever it liked. 

It was ten o’clock at night, and the parking lot, and outlet mall in general, were blissfully silent. Although the sun had finally set, the air was still thick with humidity, and Rey quickly turned up the air conditioning. She left the radio off as she drove the short fifteen minute route home. The further she drove, the drearier the landscape became. The buildings became more dilapidated, and the streets became more broken.

Once she’d parked her car, Rey made a beeline for the main doors to her building complex, hoping no one would stop her on the way. Thankfully, she slid through the doors with issue and she quickly headed for the elevator. She wouldn’t mind taking the stairs if she lived on one of the lower floors, but she didn’t have the desire to walk up twelve flights of stairs everyday.

When the elevator dinged, she hoped inside and quickly selected the twelfth floor and shut the doors. She sighed in relief as the elevator began its slow but steady descent. The building was not necessarily old, but it had been built for lower class communities, and it was painfully obvious. 

The doors jerkily spread open and Rey stopped at the fourth door on the left and unlocked the weak door. She quickly locked the door behind her, though she knew it wouldn’t likely do her any good. She sighed in relief as she slid off her shoes and socks, letting her feet breathe in the somewhat cool air of the apartment. She quickly stripped off the garish neon green polo and tossed it onto the floor, leaving it to be picked up until the morning. She finally had a Saturday off, and she couldn’t be more excited. She had made plans with Poe and Finn to go see a movie. It was some action movie that she had never heard of, but she had happily agreed, eager to escape her dreary apartment.

After Rey had pulled on a pair of thin pajama shorts and a tank top, she put her microwave salisbury steak dinner into the microwave, poured herself a glass of water (which did have a slight taste to it- city water) and pulled Netflix up on her tv. She didn’t have to get up for work the next morning, so she had full intentions of enjoying a late night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry, they'll meet properly in the next chapter! I'm excited to FINALLY write these two together. Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving y'all!


	4. Lemon Pastries & Thunder Storms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and Ben finally meet. It's in a cafe, during a storm; it's cliche, but I'm fine with that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've had this one ready for a little while, but I wanted to keep the chapters spaced out a little. I don't want to post a bunch of chapters then nothing, but they may be what ends up happening- we'll see.  
> Anyways, Rey and Ben finally get to meet! It shouldn't be as slow from here- hopefully.  
> Feel free to leave a kudos and/or comment, they make my day!

[Ben]

Ben stared out his office window, his back facing the rest of his office. It was raining, and it seemed that there would be a downpour soon. The rain was falling at an angle, being picked up by the wind, and he could hear the slight howl of it outside of his window through the prattle of the rain hitting the large glass. Personally, he loved this kind of weather. He had heard some of his employees complaining about the weather, and he could see their points, but he still preferred this over the usual September heat. The end of the month always brought the last of summer’s heat waves, bringing steaming weather to folks that were ready for autumn and cooler weather. Sure, most didn’t want monsoons, but Ben wasn’t as picky. He’d much rather get drenched in the cool rain than feel like he was about to have a heatstroke everytime he stepped outside.

A gentle knock on his office doorway caught his attention, and he slowly turned to find one of his employees silently watching him. She was standing just inside of the doorway, and she looked like she wanted nothing more than to flee. Ben had seen that expression on many faces over the years. At one point in his life, he hadn’t minded. However, in more recent years, that look cracked something in his chest that he knew he’d never be able to mend. He was an intimidating guy that came off as short and irritated, even when he didn’t intend to.

He lifted an eyebrow, for she still hadn’t said a word. “Can I help you, Madeline?” he asked, as gently as he could manage.

The doe look left her eyes, and she seemed to relax some in the small office. “I have the reports for today. It was slow today,” and she said that sentence carefully, as if expecting her boss to react poorly to the news.

Instead, Ben just shrugged and stood to retrieve the documents, the girl planted in her spot. “Figured it would be,” he rumbled out, “I know some people rescheduled to later in the week because of the weather.” As he approached, she extended the folder ever so slightly from her small frame, and Ben took them and retreated a few steps. He opened the folder and quickly leafed through the papers, only looking at a small section of a few papers, quickly finding the information he needed. “We actually did a little better than I was expecting.” He shrugged again and headed back towards his leather desk chair. He settled back with a sigh and looked up to see that his employee was still standing in the corner, looking unsure.

She was small, nearly a foot shorter than Ben, and she had a thin, narrow frame without much on it. Her light brown hair fell straight down about halfway down her back, and she had large brown eyes that gave her away everytime. She was quiet, but kind, and Ben had hired her knowing she would be able to emphasize with and comfort those in difficult situations. However, he watched her, along with one other employee, carefully when rude or obnoxious customers came in. He’d usually offer to take the case instead, not afraid of being blunt with the rude clients. However, he found that their attitudes often changed when it was Ben, a large intimidating man, sitting in front of them instead of little Madeline.

He cocked his head slightly to the side. “Is there something else?” he asked.

“Next week,” she started, her voice small and wavering, “my boyfriend is having surgery on his teeth, and he won’t be able to drive back. I was hoping-”

“What day?” Ben cut her off, getting the gist of it.

“Thursday,” she answered, her voice somehow even smaller than before.

“Alright,” Ben replied. Her head snapped up at the answer, her eyes finally meeting Ben’s. “I hope the surgery goes well.”

She shrugged awkwardly. “Umm, thank you.” She looked down at her smart watch and a small smile lightened her face. “Thank god,” she murmured. “Just a few more minutes before closing,” she informed him. Ben just nodded, unsure of what else to say. “And thank you again,” she rambled on. “Have a goodnight, Ben.”

Ben nodded. “You too, Madeline.”

With that, she turned out of the office, once again leaving Ben alone. He sighed and turned his chair back towards the window. Ben watched the rain hit his window with more force than it had just a few minutes prior. His mood had gone down slightly, just slightly, from his conversation with the small woman. It wasn’t her fault, however. Sometimes, though he’d hate to admit it, he got lonely. Nearly a year ago, when Ben hired Madeline, not long after the business had opened, he had admitted to himself that she was pretty cute. But he quickly shut that down, not wanting anything with an employee, and she had started dating a short guy with a thick boston accent not long after being hired. Personally, he thought she could do better, but if both of them were happy, who was he to judge? It’s not like he could, anyway. He hadn’t properly dated anyone- ever. Sure, there were girls, but most of them had ended as one night stands. The few girls that would come back were nothing more than stress relievers at the time. Of course, he had matured and wasn’t interested in casual sex anymore. It had been when he was younger, but now, he was older and ever so slightly wiser. In recent years, he had wanted to date, but he never found anyone that sparked his curiosity, and eventually he’d just given up. It was probably for the best anyways; he was a lot to handle on a good day, and now he had his own business to run. He’d just have to adopt a dog one day to relieve the loneliness. 

Another knock on his door frame startled him, and the resulting chuckle immediately told him who was at his office. He didn’t turn around, still watching the rain. “Yeah, Debbie?”

“Everyone else has left,” she informed him.

He hummed at that and looked down at his watch, and sure enough, it was already ten minutes after closing. “Shit,” he cursed under his breath as he grabbed his back pack from under his desk and slung it over his shoulder.

“What were you thinking about, anyway?” Debbie asked. 

“Nothing in particular,” he shrugged her off.

Debbie hadn’t been expecting an actual answer anyways, so she continued on, “Leaving already?” Ben answered her with a confirmative hum. “And it’s not even Friday. Got plans?” she asked, and Ben didn’t miss the hopefulness in her voice.

“Nothing exciting,” he answered, quickly shutting her down, “I’m going to look at laptops. I’ve been looking online, and I think I know what I want, but I’m not sure if I’ll get it today or not. And I’m going to get coffee. And tonight I’m going to eat spaghetti and fall asleep watching either Bambi or Pinnochio. That’s my plans.” He smirked at her annoyance. “Pretty good plans if you ask me.”

She finally chuckled. “They’re pretty good; I’ll admit.” They had been walking towards the business doors during the short conversation, and Ben stopped just in front of the doors to slide off his backpack to slip on a black and gray windbreaker. Meanwhile, Debbie pulled out her pastel pink umbrella and zipped up her matching pastel pink zip up hoodie.

Ben opened the doors, the slanted rain quickly greeting them. Debbie bustled out, Ben following, and he quickly locked the door behind himself. He turned to wave goodbye to the elder woman, but he chuckled when he saw her already bustling down the sidewalk as quickly as her heels would allow. Debbie’s small, round, pastel pink form stood out greatly to the otherwise gray sky and atmosphere. 

Ben pocketed his keys and quickly crossed the street, not bothering walking all the way down to the crosswalk. Rain was pelting down as he finally reached the other sidewalk and he quickly slid into the café, not wanting to get the place too wet. Inside, there were several other people in similar states as him. It appeared that several people were waiting out the storm, every table filled with at least one person. He internally sighed, but he guessed walking back out into the rain wasn’t all that bad; in fact, he preferred it over staying in the stuffy, noisy café, no matter how much he liked Frank.

“Solo!” Frank’s loud voice called to him while he stood by the door for a moment, taking everything in. 

Ben walked up to the counter and greeted the other business owner. “Hey, Frank. How’s your Tuesday going?”

Frank laughed. “Oh, you know, the usual. Except for this damn rain! Although, I shouldn’t be complaining,” he leaned in so no one else would hear, “I’ve made a few extra bucks off these people. I invited them into the store to get out of the rain. I didn’t make’em buy coffees, but they felt bad and went ahead and bought some.” Frank leaned back and continued, in his thick Italian accent, “Anyways, what will it be, Solo?”

“I think just-”

“Oh!” Frank interrupted him. “Now, I know you like your black coffee, but- hear me out- how about trying a cappuccino or something, just this once. I’ll give you a free flavor and a medium for the price of a small.” Ben couldn’t help but stare at the man, his confusion blatant on his face. “What?” Frank laughed. “Giving you just plain black coffee hurts my soul, Solo. Let me give you some good coffee.”

Ben sighed, “Alright, I’ll take that and lemon curd puff pastries.” Honestly, Ben didn’t mind buying the extra food, and in this case drink, since it supported another private business. He handed his card over to Frank, who quickly swiped it and handed it back to him. He handed the order to his eldest son, who went over to the espresso machine to fill the order.

Ben was about to walk off and stand by the door while he waited for his coffee, but Frank’s voice stopped him. “It’s raining cats and dogs out there, huh?” Ben just nodded his head. He didn’t mind having conversations with Frank, mostly because it ended up more as Frank monologuing and Ben just listening. “You heading back out?”

“Yeah, probably. I was going to look at laptops tonight. I still have a while before they close, but I’d like to have enough time to get it setup tonight.”

“You think it’s alright to drive in?” the man asked, and Ben was jolted by the man’s sudden fatherly behavior towards him.

“Yeah” he offered the elder man, “I’ve driven in worse. I’ll take it slow, though; don’t worry.”

“I don’t know,” Frank started, but he was interrupted by a loud clap of thunder that shook the building. Ben let out a slow breath, surprised by the unexpected noise. He watched as rain pelted against the window, and he could barely see anything past the door. Ben was debating still going out in the storm, the stuffiness of the café making him uncomfortable. “You should probably stay in here, son, ‘til the storm lets up some.” Ben hid his flinch by shaking his windbreaker off. 

“Yeah, I guess so.” Ben saw Frank’s shoulders relax, and the man released a long breath of relief.

“Here you go, Mr. Solo,” Eddie, Frank’s eldest, said while giving him a small paper bag and a to-go coffee cup. 

“Thanks,” Ben replied. Ben opened his mouth to ask Frank a question, but he was quickly cut off.

“Shit,” the man cursed. “Excuse me,” he said to Ben, “I forgot to do something in the kitchen. I’ll be back out in a few,” and with that, he was gone.

With a sigh, Ben turned to try and find a place to sit.

[Rey]

Rey sat down at the last empty table in the front corner of the café. She sat in the seat facing the wall, not interested in talking to anybody. This place was usually more peaceful than her apartment, but the café was currently full of several business-type individuals who had been caught in the rain. Rey had wanted to have a coffee and pastry in peace on her day off, which explained why she was there at 4:30 in the afternoon. She couldn’t complain too much though, the café was still more peaceful than her apartment, and she was currently enjoying the pattering of the rain on the window next to her head.

While eating her pastry, Rey saw a man cross the street. He pulled a dark hood over his head, but she could still make out the dark waves escaping through the front of the hood. It was the man she had seen several times in the last few months at the café. The man with the deep voice and odd but charming features. 

The man, Solo, walked up to the door and Rey heard the following ding of the bell as he stepped into the crowded café. Frank welcomed him in his usual loud way, and Rey could hear them talking from where she was sitting. Solo was quiet, but she could hear the rumble of his voice, and Frank was loud enough that Rey was sure she could hear him from across the street.

“You think it’s alright to drive in?” and Rey could hear the concern in his voice from where she was sitting.

“Yeah, I’ve driven in worse. I’ll take it slow, though; don’t worry.” The younger man sounded tired and it was clear that he didn’t want to stay. Rey couldn’t blame him; the café was quite crowded, but she knew that the storm was supposed to get worse before it got better. 

Rumbling thunder shook her from her thoughts and she nearly dropped her coffee at the shock. The crowd within the café gasped, and it was soon followed by laughter. Rey looked up to the counter to see Frank walking towards the back of his store, followed by an employee, leaving the dark-haired man alone at the counter. She could see his eyes scanning the café for a place to sit, but every table was filled. The tall man looked down at the windbreaker now draped over his arm, causing his long hair to fall around his face. The man looked back up and started walking towards the smaller side of the café. There weren’t any chairs there, just shelves of mugs and other trinkets for sale. Clearly, he wasn’t comfortable around groups of people.

Rey wasn’t sure why, but she raised her hand, trying to catch his attention. Sure enough, the tall man stopped in his tracks and looked over at her, confusion plastered on his face. She had to hold in a laugh at the ridiculous expression. She waved him over to her table. At first, he only stared, but then, finally, he walked over to the corner where Rey waited. His gait was slow, but his strides were long, and he was in front of her in just a few moments.

“Hey,” she breathed more than said, suddenly nervous for no conceivable reason. “Want to sit with me? Figured it’d be easier to eat sitting down than standing up.”

The man looked at her for another moment before nodding. “Thanks,” he said softly, and it sounded extremely forced. He pulled the chair across from Rey all the way back until the back of the chair was against the wall. He set his stuff on the table and his backpack on the floor before nearly collapsing into the small chair. He pulled the chair up the short distance between his torso and the table.

Silence settled between them as the man, Solo, fished his pastries from his bag, and Rey couldn’t take it. She offered out a hand, “I’m Rey.”

The man looked up at her then her hand. “Ben,” he rumbled as his own hand completely covered Rey’s much smaller one. After two firm shakes, Ben’s hand retreated and he quickly popped a small pastry into his mouth.

“Any good?” Rey asked, pointendly looking down at the pastries.

Ben nodded and offered a positive “hmm” around the pastry in his mouth. He looked down at the pastry paper that held several small pastries before sliding the paper towards the center of the table. “Would you like to try one?” Rey was about to decline, but he interrupted, “They’re pretty good, and I’m not much of a sweets guy.” 

“Okay,” she said softly as she took one from the paper. She popped it into her mouth, and by god was it delicious. It must have shown on her face, because Ben’s lips lifted in one corner, and she thought she saw a small twinkle in his eyes. “They are good,” she said around the pastry in her mouth. “Thank you.”

Ben just nodded. “You can have some more if you’d like. Like I said, I’m not a huge sweets guy; I just like them once in a great while.” Rey wouldn’t count these as sweets, but she didn’t bring it up to the mysterious man across from her.

Another silence, this one more comfortable, settled between them as they quickly inhaled the small pastries. Ben reached for his coffee and took a careful sip. He seemed to think about it, then took a larger sip from the cup. 

Another loud boom shook the small café as thunder rolled in the sky. Rey saw Ben’s large hands tighten around his cup of coffee, and she looked up to see that his eyes had gone slightly wide. “Afraid of storms?” she asked and she couldn’t hide the grin on her face. Him? This large man was actually scared of some thunder? The thought alone seemed preposterous. 

Ben quickly schooled his expression, his face falling back into its neutral frown, but his hands didn’t relax. “No,” his voice rumbled, but he didn’t elaborate. He took another sip of coffee and averted his gaze from Rey, instead looking out the large window. 

Rey scolded herself. Stupid, she thought; you don’t laught at other people’s fears. These types of thoughts continued until she heard a soft rumble from across the table. She broke her gaze from the table top and looked up to see his eyes now on her, instead of the rain. “Sorry?” she hadn’t heard a single word he had said.

“I’m not afraid of storms,” he repeated. “Actually, I quite like them, especially the rain. What about you?” Rey just offered him a confused expression as an answer. “What do you think of storms?” he asked again, his eyes and voice surprisingly soft.

“I like them,” she agreed. “I’m from Arizona though, so we didn’t get them very often.”

“What’d you think of snow?” he asked her. She made a face at that and he chuckled. 

“Oh and you like snow?” she asked.

He nodded. “I do, actually. I’ve been all over the country, but mostly along the east coast. And, I’ve found that I definitely prefer the cold- and the snow.” Rey felt herself make another mocking face of disgust, and she was rewarded with another low chuckle. 

A bright flash of lightning suddenly filled the sky, and the resulting thunder soon followed and once again shook the building. This time, Rey noted that Ben didn’t react negatively towards the sound, likely due to the fact that he was expecting the loud noise this time around. 

Silence fell over them again as they finished off the pastries and Ben returned to his cup of coffee. Sitting across from him, Rey could see the details that she had missed before. There were dark circles under his eyes, more moles than she had seen before, and she had also noticed that his canines were a bit snaggletoothed. She noticed one more detail that quickly caught all of her attention; a small scar in his hairline was nearly completely hidden by his dark hair, but since the hair was wet and pulled back, the scar could just barely be seen, even at a close distance. Rey figured that the scar was usually easily hidden by the long thick hair.

“You’re staring.” That quickly broke Rey from her reverie and her eyes fell to his. His brown- no, dark hazel- eyes were watching her intently, and the amused grin on his face grew as a blush flushed up her cheeks. “You do that a lot.”

“What?” she asked, feeling her cheeks warm even more.

He chuckled then answered, “I’ve seen you here before. You’re hard to miss in those bright ass polos. I’ve seen you staring before.”

Rey’s face flushed impossibly warmer. “I-I’m sorry, I-”

He waved a hand dismissively. “It’s alright; I’m used to it. I know I look quite-” he seemed to search for the word for a moment. “odd.”

Rey instantly felt guilty, but she could tell by his dismissive behavior that that had not been his intentions.

“Anyway, what do you wear those ugly shirts for?”

Rey almost felt offended, but she had to admit that her work polos were difficult to look at. “Work,” she replied. “Our boss has us wear those bright neon shirts, and I hate them too, by the way.”

Ben leaned back in his seat, resting his back on the back of the chair and his head against the wall. He looked exhausted, Rey noted, but he also looked amused by their conversation. “Where do you work at?”

“A pet supply store,” she replied. “I’m hoping to find something better though, and soon.” Rey was expecting another chuckle or a judgemental look, but instead, he just nodded. “What about you? What business do you work at?” Ben quirked up an eyebrow at the question. “What?” she asked. “It’s pretty obvious with the clothes.”

Ben tilted his head and made a face that showed he agreed with her. “I own my own business,” he replied. “It’s not much, but it’s mine, at least.” 

Rey noted that he looked almost defeated, the exhaustion in his features becoming even more prominent. “What’s your business?”

“Nothing exciting. We help with hospital bills and help people find cheaper and discounted medical supplies.”

Rey was surprised by the answer; she had been expecting accounting. “Oh,” was all she said at first. “That’s-” she dropped off again, and that defeated look once again spread over his whole being. She tried to think of something that would rid him of that weight. “That’s- nice,” she said finally. “Helpful, actually. Sounds like you do something good.” 

Rey nearly sighed in relief when some of the tension from Ben’s shoulders dropped. “I try,” he replied, a small, embarrassed smile gracing his lips. 

Rey was about to speak again when the loud ringing of the doorbell interrupted her and caught her attention. She turned to see that all of the business people were leaving, and walking outside where it was now only drizzling. Ben, too, seemed to notice this as he gathered his stuff into his arms. At first, Rey thought he was simply moving to another table, and hurt creeped into her chest.

This must’ve shown because Ben stopped his movements and studied her for a moment. “Thank you,” he said suddenly, and Rey’s head snapped up at the words. “Thanks for letting me sit at your table; it was definitely better than trying to stand and eat.” Rey felt the weight in her chest begin to lighten. “It was nice talking to you. I’m sure I’ll see you around here again,” he supplied, and Rey hated the way hope began to bloom somewhere deep in her chest. 

Ben stood from his seat, slipped his windbreaker back on and slung his backpack over his shoulder. “I’ll see you around, Rey.”

“See ya,” she replied with a smile she hoped was convincing. He offered a small smile in return before walking towards the door, throwing his cup and paper bag into the trash before walking out into the drizzle. 

Rey watched him walk across the road then down the sidewalk until she could no longer follow him. She had spent the last several months judging him based on short words and appearances, and he had been more than she was expecting. Sure, some of her first impressions were correct: awkward, quiet, gruff. But, after speaking with him, she could sense the intelligence and maybe almost kindness that he kept to himself. She was intrigued and she hated herself for it. She hadn’t meant to become friends with the man, but she wanted to have at least one more conversation with the mysterious man.

“See?” A loud voice interrupted her thoughts and caused her to jump. She turned to see Frank behind the counter, looking at her. “Solo’s not so bad.”


	5. Been Kylo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few weeks and shared lunches after the previous chapter, Rey and Ben get to know each other a bit more. Frank ships it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I know it's been a while but finals have been killing me lately. Anyways, as always, feel free to leave a comment and/or Kudos. They always make my day! And thank you for reading. Enjoy!

[Ben]

The soft hum of the tv filled the quiet living room early that morning. Ben had his feet resting on his coffee table, a steaming cup of coffee in one hand, and the other resting on his laptop. He sipped at the coffee while he read a case he was going through before their meeting Monday. The warm coffee was not as comforting or strong as Ben would have preferred, but he had not known he was running low on coffee grounds until he had already turned on his coffee maker and gotten everything out. He had decided to use the remaining coffee grounds, but the coffee was hardly that, and instead more like warm water with slight coffee flavoring. He had also discovered that he was running low on groceries, eating the last of his eggs for breakfast. One egg was not nearly enough, and Ben’s stomach growled, demanding more food. Ben rubbed at his forehead and slowly closed the lid of his laptop. He sighed and looked up at the tv he had only been using for background noise to see that the news station he had started watching had switched from the weather and local news to some sitcom Ben had never heard of. Ben reached for the remote and clicked off the tv then rose to his feet. He had to go to the store, and he wanted to grab an actual cup of coffee before he walked into a store full of people, even if they were likely to be elderly people at this time of morning.

Ben slipped on a pair of black jogging sweatpants and a maroon, tight-fitting, athletic long sleeve shirt. The air was getting cooler as October progressed, and Ben was enjoying the change. He made a mental note to start jogging on weekend mornings again, when it was quiet and cool; there were less people and cars- less hassle. He grabbed his keys and wallet, slid them, along with his phone, into his pockets, slipped on his running shoes and headed for Frank’s Café.

The drive was quiet, and Ben had turned on the radio and selected a local channel currently discussing the weather. “With it being late October, expect low temperatures in the morning and late in the evening. We are likely to have frost tonight-” Ben switched the radio back off, not interested in hearing the same thing he had heard on the tv. It didn’t matter anyways, because he was already parking in the parking lot close to his business. Another parking lot was closer to Frank’s, but it filled up quicker, and Ben didn’t want to have to spend money on fixing his car after someone had accidentally backed into his car; and yes, the specific example came from previous experience. 

Ben crossed the street, not bothering to look in either direction. There had been no traffic that morning; and if a car did come from out of nowhere, he only hoped that they were driving fast enough to make it relatively quick. 

The ringing bell above his head alerted the store owner that another customer had walked in. Ben had been expecting the café to have one, maybe two other people there besides the employees, but Ben saw about five people already sipping coffee and swiping away on their phones early that Saturday morning. Frank’s Café opened at seven every morning, including Saturdays, and it earned him good business. 

“Solo!” Ben let a corner of his lips turn up ever so slightly at the call he’d never admit that he looked forward to. “What do you want this Saturday morning?”

Ben shrugged with one shoulder. “You know what, Frank? Surprise me. I’ll take a medium of your choice.” Frank’s eyes grew wide, then a small smile soon spread across his face. “But,” Ben quickly put in, “I still want it bitter, though. No sweet shit.”

Frank rolled his eyes, but his smile remained. “Yes, yes, I know.” He hit a few buttons on the register. “Anything else Solo?” 

Ben nodded. “Yeah, ham and cheese melt, please.”

“You’ve been getting a lot of food lately, Solo,” Frank noted, and sounded almost- relieved?

Ben shrugged. “I’m going to the store after this. Little low on food and coffee.”

Frank just shook his head. “Six-fifty, Solo.” Ben handed over his card and Frank quickly swiped it and handed it back, then the large man gave the paper with Ben’s order to an employee behind him. Ben was going to sit at an empty table, but Frank spoke up, “You’ve been in a good mood lately.” 

Ben shrugged again. “Don’t jinx it, Frank.” Frank chuckled, but he continued to watch him, and it was starting to make Ben’s skin prickle so he spoke again, “I don’t know. I think the cooler weather helps; it’s easier to be in less of a bad mood when I’m not melting alive.”

Frank did laugh at that one. “Dramatic as always, Solo. Is your business going up, as well?” He asked.

Ben nodded. “Yeah, it’ll go up during the winter, especially around Christmas. I might be in a bad mood by then, though, after dealing with people all day everyday for the entirety of December.”

“Well,” Frank started, “Busy is better than the opposite.”

“Yeah, I’m not going to complain,” Ben agreed. 

The employee, quickly recognizing Ben, set his coffee and paper bag on the counter, not needing to call out his name. Ben thanked the young woman, who only offered a quick nod before heading back to the espresso machine. Ben could sense Frank’s intense stare on him, but he pretended to ignore it and sipped at the coffee. Just a touch sweet, but otherwise bitter; Ben took another sip.

“Hazelnut, thought you’d like it,” Frank supplied, sounding proud of himself. Ben nodded his thanks and went to pick up his paper bag that held his breakfast, but Frank grabbed it first. Ben lifted an eyebrow at the odd action, but he let his hand fall onto the counter.

Ben was beginning to become irritated by the silence; he raised an eyebrow and asked, “What?” He knew the annoyance in his voice was obvious, but he didn’t care enough to try to cover it.

“Are you sure this near month-long good mood we just discussed isn’t at least somewhat caused by the girl?”

Ben kept his face neutral. “What girl?”

“Don’t play stupid, son. We both know what girl- Rey.” Ben reached for his food again, and this time, Frank lifted his hand and let him grab it.

Ben’s irritation had grown significantly since the conversation began. “What would make you think that?” Ben finally addressed Frank’s question with his own.

“I don’t know,” Frank’s usual teasing tone had snuck back into his voice, “maybe because she’s the only person besides me that I haven’t seen you try and shake off after a total of three minutes.”

Ben rolled his eyes. “Well, I am trying to shake you now.”

Frank laughed, but he must’ve picked up on Ben’s defensive behavior because he let him go after that. “Alright, alright, Solo. I’ll leave you be.”

“Thanks,” Ben mumbled as he took his food and sat at the corner table by the window.

He sat down with a soft sigh and quickly dug his sandwich from the paper sack. He bit into the hot sandwich and nearly sighed in content. 

The bell above the door rang loudly, and Ben already had a good guess on who it would be before he even looked up. Life was often full of coincidences, and many of them occurred at the most annoying times.

Rey didn’t see him as she went up to the counter, but Ben looked up to see Frank grinning at him. Ben rolled his eyes and directed his attention back to his sandwich. Ben sighed quietly in aggravation and pulled out his phone, forcing himself to direct his attention away from Frank and especially Rey. Ben scrolled mindlessly through his emails, looking over bills and information that he had already read. He could hear conversation at the counter, but he forced himself to ignore it and instead focus on his emails.

As if on cue, a new email popped up, and Ben quickly tapped on it and began reading through it. It was only a receipt from a bill that he had already paid, but he was going to read through it all anyways, if only to keep his attention from the counter. However, Ben finally looked up when he realized that there was no more conversation at the counter. Perhaps she had left without noticing his presence. Ben shoved down the hurt and saw that his guess had been wrong, instead, both Rey and Frank were watching him, smiles on both of their faces. Ben scowled and turned his attention back to his phone, purely out of spite now.

He heard Rey’s laugh before Frank’s loud one overtook it, and Ben could feel his ears growing warm. He looked at his sandwich and briefly thought of leaving, if only out of spite, but even he wasn’t that dramatic. Instead, he rested a palm against the side of his face, blocking his view of the register. Ben swiped out of his emails and instead selected a news article about the mayor election. Ben was actually engrossed in the article, momentarily forgetting about Frank, when a paper bag settled loudly on the table. Ben’s head snapped up and he met Rey’s gaze as she chuckled at him. His ears grew warm again, and he didn’t return the smile.

“Can I sit here?” she asked, a smile still on her face. Ben sighed and nodded, not bothering to use his voice. “You’re in a good mood this morning, huh?” Rey asked.

Ben was going to point out that there were several empty tables available, but he held his tongue. “Long morning,” he replied.

Rey just shook her head in amusement before biting into her breakfast biscuit. Usually, the situation was reversed, with Ben joining her without asking. Rey seemed annoyed the first two times, but as time progressed, she seemed accepting of it. Ben was about to leave her alone the fourth time they sat together, feeling that he misread her general kindness as an attempt at friendliness. But, she had waved him over with a smile on her face, and neither of them had asked to sit with the other since, this day being an exception.

Ben took another bite of his sandwich before looking up and actually taking her in. She was wearing one of her bright polos under a green zip-up hoodie, and her hair was pulled back in its usual three-bun style. Loose strands of hair hung about her face, and Ben could see lingering signs of exhaustion around her eyes.

“Why?” Rey asked around a mouth of biscuit. “Who pissed in your cheerios?”

“Frank.” Ben answered with an annoyed frown. Rey laughed, a few bits of biscuit falling into her lap. “And my coffee,” Ben continued, “I mean the coffee I made this morning.”

“What did your coffee ever do to you?”

“Run out,” he answered bluntly. Rey laughed again, this time loud and clear of biscuit.

Rey sipped at her coffee. “You going to get more? Or, are you just going to pout about it?”

“I’ll continue to pout for now,” Ben replied, “but once I leave here I have to go to the store anyway; I’m running out of pretty much everything. I had one egg for breakfast.”

Rey laughed at his childishness again. “Well, that is why they made grocery stores.”

“And here I thought it was only for corporal gain.”

Rey shook her head and let out a low chuckle. “Wow, you really are full of it this morning.” Ben only shrugged as he finished off his melt with a large bite. “What would you do on the weekends anyway, if you didn’t have to go shopping?” Ben swallowed his food and opened his mouth, but Rey cut him off with, “And don’t say work.” Ben’s mouth closed quickly.

“Come on, you must have friends, hobbies?” Rey asked, incredulous. 

Ben scowled at her and took a long sip of coffee. Thankfully, Rey only laughed at the gesture, instead of getting offended. Her presence and kindness were definitely worth the teasing.

“No, but really; what do you do for fun?” she asked, her voice softer than before, the teasing tone completely gone.

Ben met her eyes and laughed humorlessly, “Honestly? Sleep. And if I can’t do that, then I usually watch a movie.” Rey frowned at that. “I used to draw,” he supplied. “A long time ago, but I don’t really do that anymore.”

The soft look in Rey’s eyes grew, and Been looked away and out the window. “Why not?” her voice was just as soft as her eyes.

“I was never very good at it; patience isn’t something I’ve ever had a lot of. And, I don’t know-” he shrugged, “I just haven’t really felt like drawing- or painting- anything for a long time.”

“I bet you were at least decent,” Rey argued. Ben only shrugged one shoulder as a response. Rey rolled her eyes but didn’t push that particular subject any further. “Fine. So now, you just watch movies and sleep. Sounds like a lot of fun.”

Ben did laugh at that, and Rey jerked in surprise. “I’ve had plenty of ‘fun’ in my life. In fact, I got ‘funned’ out. Now, I’d gladly take the quiet life.”

“Oooh,” Rey leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table and her chin in her hands. “Tell me more.”

Ben felt his smile falter before it completely fell, and he saw Rey’s do the same. Rey frowned at him after he didn’t say anything. “Let’s just say that I made a lot of mistakes,” Ben supplied. “I don’t exactly have a lot of ‘fun’ stories.”

Rey shrugged. “You’re talking to someone who grew up in foster care, so join the party.”

Ben frowned and his eyebrows furrowed. “I’m sorry-'' he wasn’t sure what to say. All of their previous conversations had been mostly impersonal, and this conversation was taking a turn that he hadn’t expected.

“Don’t worry about it,” Rey cut him off. “My story’s foster care. What’s yours?”

Ben shook his head. “I was lucky- I guess. I was born into a good family but-” he shook his head. “We had a pretty ugly falling out. I ended up getting into shit I shouldn’t have. I did stuff I shouldn’t have. I-” He looked away from Rey again. “I was one of the lucky ones who got a second chance.”

“Lucky ones?” Rey asked, pushing further.

“I spent a lot of time on the streets during high school,” Ben answered reluctantly. 

Rey looked at him for a long moment, and Ben still couldn’t meet her eyes. Well, he told himself, it was good while it lasted.

“You don’t strike me as a street kid,” Rey finally broke the silence that had fallen between them. That definitely hadn’t been what he’d been expecting as a response. 

“Like I said, I got a second chance.”

“So,” Rey started with a mischievous smile, “what’d you do?”

Ben cocked an eyebrow, but his face remained impassive. “So, how was foster care?”

“Ouch,” Rey leaned back in her seat and raised her hands up in mock surrender. “Alright, I quit. Truce.”

“Truce,” Ben agreed as he sipped at his coffee.

Rey had gone back to her sandwich, and she was talking about something having to do with the color purple. Ben had no clue what she was babbling about, his head was still in the previous conversation. There was something that she deserved to know, if this, whatever it was, was going to continue. In fact, it would probably prevent it from happening at all, but Ben believed she deserved the truth.

“Ben?” Rey’s voice was suddenly soft, and Ben found that he was no longer looking at her but instead out the window. He met her eyes, confusion clear on his face. “You alright?”

Ben picked at the edges of his coffee lid. “It doesn’t bother you?” he asked. Rey raised an eyebrow. “My past,” Ben continued. “I mean, street kid plus past really bad mistakes usually turns people off.”

“Well, did you kill anyone?” Rey asked bluntly, her face impassive.

“What?” Ben asked, surprised by the question. “No,” he replied, exasperated.

“Then I think we’re okay.” Rey offered him a smile, but Ben still felt like he was lying, even though not saying something didn’t really count as lying. His face must have looked as guilty as he felt, because Rey’s smile slipped from her face. “Go ahead and tell me whatever it is that’s bothering you,” she said softly. “It’s obviously eating away at you.” Ben sighed but nodded. “A story for a story?” Rey asked.

Ben shook his head harshly. “No,” his voice came out weaker than he liked, and he swallowed before trying to speak again. “It’s not really a story. I mean,” he shrugged again. “I got into fights quite a bit, but they were usually just stupid fist fights. I had my group of friends, and there were other groups, including gangs, that we didn’t mess with. I guess someone in my group did and-” he stopped, realizing his words were coming out too fast. He sighed and forced himself to continue at a rate that could actually be understood. “Someone did something stupid. I didn’t know about it. There was a drive-by. People got hurt.” Ben looked down at his hands that were twisting against each other. “Two people died. Kids got hurt, too. I grabbed some of them but-”

“Wait- why were there kids?” Rey asked suddenly, interrupting the story.

“We were outside a grocery store,” Ben answered, surprised by the question. “There was a grocery store that we would frequent. It was in one of the rougher parts of the city. Some of the mothers would ask us to watch their kids, and so we did.” Rey looked at him with a dumbfounded expression on her face. “What?”

“Not the answer I was expecting,” Rey replied. “It’s surprisingly- sweet.”

“Well, two kids ended up being shot, one died.” Ben swallowed heavily again and looked back down at the table. “An old man walking into the store also died. A few other people were hit too.”

“Were you-”

“Just a graze,” Ben cut her off. Graze wasn’t exactly the correct term for what had happened to his arm, but it was good enough for this conversation.

Rey tilted her head. “That’s tragic,” she started, and Ben could feel his stomach drop to his feet. “But, you didn’t pull the trigger. If that’s what you thought was going to make me leave you alone, you were sorely mistaken.”

Ben’s head shot up and he met Rey’s relaxed gaze with his own confused and pained one. “What-”

“I mean, you obviously learned your lesson and you feel remorse about the whole thing. Besides, I’ve heard plenty of similar stories from other foster kids from other cities that I’ve lived with.” She shrugged a shoulder. “It’s not okay, but we move on. Yeah? So, I’m afraid that I’m still going to be here to annoy you, and you’re still welcomed to annoy me.”

Ben swallowed again and nodded. He suddenly broke into a low chuckle, causing Rey to jump. “Sorry,” he offered. He pushed his hair back with a hand and left it on top of his head. “It’s just, when I woke up this morning, this is not how I imagined my day would go.”

Rey laughed as well. “Same,” she replied. “Now, that we have your dark backstory out of the way, how was your coffee?”

Ben actually laughed at the question, taken aback by it. Rey’s own soft laugh joined his. “It’s good,” he replied with a grin on his face. “Hazelnut.”

“Frank said he picked it out for you.” Frank. Ben shook his head; he had completely forgotten about the Italian man. “He also said that you were in a good mood when you came in.”

“Sort of,” Ben explained, “I enjoy the cold weather. A quiet cold morning usually puts me in a decent mood. Even after I have coffee water for breakfast.”

Rey rolled her eyes. “What the hell is coffee water?”

“I ran out of coffee grounds, so my coffee was pretty much just warm water with slight coffee flavoring. Like I said earlier, I need to go to the store.”

“Sounds like it,” Rey replied, but she had a small smile lighting up her face.

Ben sighed aloud. A weight had been lifted off his shoulders, and Rey didn’t seem to be faking her acceptance of his past, or at least a small part of it- ugly as it was. He ran another hand through his hair before resting his arms on the table. He suddenly felt exhausted.

“So,” he started slowly, “we’ve established my plans for the night. What’s yours?”

“Not as boring as yours,” she replied. “I only work four hours today, thankfully. After that, I’m going to volunteer at a local shelter house, then I’m going to watch a movie with some friends.”

Ben was a bit surprised by that answer. He could remember a few times when Rey had brought up volunteering at a shelter house. “I take it you like volunteering, especially at the shelter house. Which one?”

“You wouldn’t kn-” Rey stopped short, seemingly rethinking her words. “Or, maybe you would, street kid.” Ben offered a short chuckle. “Jones’ Shelter House,” she finally answered.

Jones’ Shelter House was locally owned and was located in the nicer part of the not-so-nice part of the city. It was definitely one of the better shelter houses.

“Jones’, huh? That one’s pretty good.” Ben hesitated for a moment, but he decided to be brave and ask, “does Sheila still work there?” He knew that could be a mistake, but hey, one only has one shot at life.

Rey smiled and nodded. “Yeah, she does, actually. You know her?”

Ben nodded. “She let me in a few times, for showers and stuff. She was pretty nice, stern, but nice.” Ben shifted a bit in his seat. “She was never very happy to see me, though; she always wanted me off the streets.”

Rey nodded once. “Of course she did. I can tell her you said ‘hi’ if you’d like,” Rey offered softly.

Ben nodded. “Yeah, thank you. And, can you tell her it's ‘Ben’.” Rey raised an eyebrow in confusion. “I- uh- I,” Ben sighed in aggravation with himself. “I used to go by another name, when I was on the streets- I mean.”

Rey chuckled at that and leaned forward in her seat. “Oh, you have to tell me now.”

Ben rolled his eyes but answered Rey’s chuckle with a nervous one of his own. “It feels so stupid now-” his voice faded out, but Rey remained seated, leaning forward in anticipation with a wide grin on her face. “Kylo,” Ben finally said in a rush.

“Kylo?” Rey echoed. “Huh,” she sat up, “I’ve heard dumber.”

“Thanks,” Ben said with another roll of his eyes.

“I’ll tell her,” Rey said, suddenly serious again.

“Thanks,” he replied, sincerely this time. Rey looked down at her watch, and Ben frowned. “Got to go?” 

Rey shook her head. “Nah, I’ve still got a few minutes.”

“Well then, I have a few burning questions of my own,” Ben said with a crooked grin.

Rey laughed. “Shoot.” Ben could tell that she was trying to remain casual, but he could sense her nervousness.

“What movie are you going to watch?”

Rey laughed, a normal laugh this time. “I’m not sure. My friends are picking the movie; we’re watching it at their place, so they get picks.”

“Well, do they at least have good taste?”

“Eehh,” Rey shook her head, “questionable at best.” Rey and Ben both laughed quietly at that. “But, they’re good friends, so I can’t complain. I met them at the shelter house; they’re lead volunteers.”

“And they live together too?”

Rey laughed at his question, and Ben’s shoulders raised in defense. “No, it’s alright; you wouldn't know.” She laughed again, softer this time. “They’re married; Finn and Poe Dameron.” 

Ben didn’t have anything left to say, so he let the silence hang. Luckily, Rey’s watch vibrated, saving him from having to pull some conversation out of his ass.

“Shit,” Rey hissed. “I have to go. You coming in tomorrow for a coffee?”

“Are you?” Ben asked dumbly.

“Yeah, you can join me if you’d like.”

Ben blushed but nodded. “Ten too early?”

Rey shook her head. “No, sounds good. See you soon, Ben.”

Ben didn’t think he’d ever get used to her saying his name. “See ya.”

Rey gathered up her trash and gave him a smile before leaving. He offered her a small wave as she walked away, tossing her trash into the bin, and leaving the small café. The bell above the door announced her departure, as well as the arrival of a couple that caught the door before it shut.

Now alone, the silence felt too heavy. Ben sighed and took the final sip of his coffee and was about to stand before someone grabbed the seat across from him. Ben looked up and saw Frank grinning down at him.

Ben scowled in return. “I don’t want to hear it.”

Frank sat down heavily in the seat that had been occupied not even a minute earlier. “So, coming back tomorrow, Solo?” Ben continued to glare at the café owner, and he got a bright chuckle in return. “You need to work on your flirting skills, friend; you looked like you were about to have a stroke.”

“I wasn’t flirting.”

Frank laughed. “That makes it even worse.” Ben rolled his eyes. “Maybe next time ask her for her number.”

Ben looked at Frank with his mouth agape. “Did you listen to everything?”

Frank laughed and shrugged. “Pretty much- Kylo.” Ben glared at him again, which earned him another loud chuckle. However, this time, Ben didn’t let up his intense glare, and Frank finally took the hint. “Alright, alright, Solo, it is, then.”

Ben tossed his cup into his paper bag and stood from his seat. “This has been lovely, really, but I should probably go before the store gets too busy.”

Frank laughed again and shooed Ben away with his hand. “Alright, Solo. See you tomorrow.”

Ben groaned in annoyance and picked up his bag. He could hear Frank laughing behind him as he tossed his trash away and stepped back into the cool breeze of the October morning. 

[Rey]

When Rey stepped into the shelter house, she was in a better mood than she typically was after getting off of work, and her fellow volunteers took notice. A few had asked if she finally quit, which sadly was not the case, but never-ending questions still didn’t cut down her good mood. Her morning had been improved greatly by Ben and his awkward but sweet attempts at conversation. She was glad that she hadn’t decided to shake him off after three lunches. He was a fun character to watch, and he always offered Rey a listening ear. Before that day, all of their conversation had been light and about just general things. 

Rey suddenly realized that most of the conversations had been about her or her complaining about her job. Ben had given her small pieces, like his coffee addiction, and she was easily able to discover that he was a bit of a workaholic, although she suspected that it was a direct result of his loneliness. That day, however, she had gotten more information than she ever expected to get, and now she was so curious about him. He had mentioned and told a choppy story about his past, and Rey wanted more. She wasn’t going to push- at least, not too hard- because it was obvious how much the topic upset him. Typically, Rey would push to find out all the juicy details and hear the best stories. However, Rey surprised herself when she didn’t feel the need to immediately find out more. Instead, she had wanted to comfort him, and the feeling had shocked her. She figured his past wasn’t pretty by his reluctance to talk about it, but she had grown up around people with ugly pasts and even uglier souls. Rey could handle just about anything, and it wasn’t like she hadn’t heard gruesome or gross stories from other kids who had grown up in similar situations as her. The only obstacle was going to be getting him to open up to her.

A tap on her shoulder startled her, and Rey turned to see both Poe and Finn standing behind her. They laughed gently at her reaction, and Rey kindly flipped them off.

“What were you daydreaming about?” Poe asked her. “We heard you were in a good mood today.” 

Rey looked down at her watch to see that it was almost time to leave already. “Shit,” she cursed. “This day just keeps flying.” Poe raised a questioning eyebrow. “Work flew by, for once, and this flew by, too. Oh,” Rey’s eyes went wide. “Have you seen Sheila around?”

“Uh, yeah, she’s in her office,” Finn answered, confusion blatant on his face.

“Cool. I was going to talk to her real quick, then I’ll be ready to go.”

“We’ll go with you,” Fin offered with a friendly smile. Rey wanted to refuse, but she made herself smile in return. She didn’t think her two friends would approve of her choice in ‘companionship’. And she used that term loosely, because she was actually excited to see the dark-haired giant the next day, and also nervous. She felt like she was thirteen again. She thought he was handsome since the first time he walked into the café, but that day’s conversation had sparked an interest and curiosity that she didn’t care to fight against. 

Rey knocked gently on the doorframe leading into Sheila’s office, and she heard a gentle, “come in.” The voice had been as gentle as it could manage. Sheila’s office smelled of cigarettes, as did Sheila herself, and her voice reflected this. She was a decently sized woman with strong arms and shoulders, and she was not ashamed of her love for cupcakes. She had dark irises, so dark that sometimes you couldn’t separate them from her pupil, and her hair was dark, thick, and curly. Sheila’s dark skin was smooth except for the few scars on the back of one hand and one bicep. Overall, Sheila came off as the grandmother that would cook you a buffett if you told her you were hungry while she scolded you for wearing dirty shoes and clothes in her kitchen.

“Hey, Sheila,” Rey greeted as she slipped into the room. 

“Hello, Rey, have a seat.”

Rey shook her head. “I’m fine, thank you. I was going to tell you- I met someone who said he used to come here.” Sheila raised an eyebrow. “He made it sound like it wasn’t official, but more like you’d sneak him in for showers and stuff.”

Sheila’s confused expression slid into understanding. “Did he give you a name?”

“He said it was Ben, not Kylo.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Rey saw her friends straighten, but Sheila relaxed. “That’s good. I’d hoped that boy would eventually come to his senses. So,” Sheila leaned forward and rested her elbows on her desk, “How’s that scrawny boy doing.”

Rey let out a surprised chuckle. “Well, for one, he isn’t scrawny anymore; he’s built like a brick shithouse.” Sheila laughed at that and waved her hand, signaling Rey to continue. “He owns his own business now, some hospital bills and medical supplies business. He’s said that it’s been going for over a year, so I think he’s doing pretty well. He sometimes looks pretty tired, and he seems kind of lonely, but he seems- okay.” Rey realized she had been rambling and her cheeks turned a light shade of pink.

Sheila nodded. “Good, good. I always knew that boy was smart; he just never used that big brain of his.”

“Did he tell you about the shooting,” Poe cut in suddenly. Sheila rolled her eyes, but she didn’t say anything.

Rey nodded. “A little bit. It was almost like he felt like he had to tell me about it, almost like a warning- I guess.”

“Yeah, it was a warning. You shouldn’t mess with him, Rey,” Poe continued. “We graduated high school together. How he still managed to graduate, I still have no idea. He was constantly swimming in trouble, Rey.”

“He didn’t cause the shooting,” Rey argued. She knew she probably shouldn’t fight for a new friend against a good friend she’s had for over a year, but for some reason she felt the need to defend Ben since he wasn’t there to do so himself.

“No, but his presence there caused a lot of people to get hurt, kids, Rey.”

“He said they frequented there all the time. And they could have shot anywhere in the city.”

“A kid died and he didn’t even walk away with a scratch,” Poe continued, new heat in his voice.

“He said a bullet grazed him He-”

“He lost a good amount of meat on his arm dragging kids to safety,” Sheila cut in. “Ben had his issues, but he was never the worst. And that kid was just as scared and lost as everybody else we help. A lot of the people we help on a daily basis have the same past as he does.”

Poe didn’t argue, but Rey could see that he was clenching his jaw. Finn had remained silent through the argument, and Rey knew it was because of his own past. Rey knew he had nothing on Ben; Ben definitely had the darker past and darker deeds. But Finn still felt guilty for the small-time thefts he committed before he left a bad crowd.

“Anway,” Rey said into the tense quiet. “He said ‘hi’. He asked me if you still worked here. I think that he liked you, although- with him it’s hard to tell.”

Sheila chuckled softly. “Oh yes, I’d let that stinky boy in to take showers. I’d help with the homework that I could, and I’d sneak him chocolate pudding cups. That boy better like me.” Rey laughed at that. “That, and-” Sheila’s voice faded into something softer, “I always had more faith in the kid than everyone else did, even his own family.”

Rey frowned but didn’t say anything in return. Her good mood had been shattered. Eventually Rey sighed and offered Sheila a small smile. “I’ll see you next weekend, Sheila.”

“Alrighty, be careful, sweety,” she replied as she waved her off.

Rey walked quickly out of the office and down the hallway that led to the employee/volunteer parking lot.

“Rey!” Poe.

Rey ignored him and continued even faster down the hallway until she flung the door open and walked into the cool October evening air.

While driving home, Rey could hear her phone vibrating in the passenger seat, text message after text message lighting up her phone. She ignored the notifications for reasons beyond just safety. 

Poe had always had strong opinions, which of course he was entitled to. Rey would listen to him, whether she agreed with him or not, but he usually wasn’t too pushy. Rather, he just wanted a listening ear. This time, however, he had been telling Rey what to do and what to believe, and she didn’t appreciate it- at all.

Rey didn’t check her phone until after she had taken her shower and eaten some leftover chicken and rice from the fridge. She had twelve texts from Poe and a lone text from Finn. She tapped on the notification and took her to the singular text that read:

I’m sorry for what happened at the shelter. Poe was being a jerk and he knows it. We can talk about it later maybe during a movie next weekend? If not thats okay I understand. Have a goodnight Rey

Rey sighed as she sat down onto her bed and reread the text. Eventually, she replied with:

Probably next weekend. I’ll have to see if im busy. I’ll let you know.

With another great sigh, she tossed her phone onto her night stand and collapsed back onto her bed. All of this over the integrity of a mysterious dark-haired boy that she would sometimes have lunch with. Was it worth it? Probably.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An Update:  
> As of right now (12/2020) this is the newest chapter I have written. I've had this one done for a little while but I don't like to post too many at once. I'm working through the story and details for the next chapter. If things go according to plan, it won't be as long as this and the previous chapters.   
> Also, if there are any major errors in this chapter, please let me know. I didn't have the time to fully proofread this chapter.  
> Thank you!


	6. Coffee Does Wonders

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben and Rey go on their first coffee date. It's sweet; it's awkward. I tried.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while, but I'm back, baby!! So... this chapter got away from me- slightly. This chapter was definitely not meant to be 8.5k words, but here we are. I have a few more chapters finished and one in progress, so more updates will be coming.  
> Feel free to leave comments and tell what you think. Your kudos and comments make my day!  
> Thank you for reading and enjoy!!

[Rey]

Rey rubbed a hand against her forehead as she looked out her windshield. It was Sunday morning, and she had the day off, she shouldn’t have been up before noon. Yet, here she was, agreeing to meet a mysterious and pretty man on the morning of her Sunday off. Rey had spent the night constantly waking up and tossing and turning, her thoughts spiraling around Ben and her argument with Poe. She’d spent the night arguing with herself over whether or not her friendship with Ben was worth it. One side of her wanted to listen to Poe’s warnings, as well as Ben’s own warnings. But, the other side of her knew that not everyone was perfect and that people could change. At one point during the long night, Rey had thought about not showing up that morning and instead looking for a new café to frequent. In the end, she had convinced herself that she was not a coward and that she would meet with the man who had shown her nothing but kindness.

With a mournful sigh, Rey turned off her car and left the warm air and stepped into the cool October morning. Truthfully, the morning was not that cool, but Rey was still waking up and had grown comfortable in her overly warm Honda Civic. Looking down at her watch, Rey saw that she was running late, and her overthinking and procrastinating in the car had only made her even later. It was now quarter after ten, and Rey cursed under her breath as she carelessly slammed her door and jogged towards the café.

Frank’s café was just as overly warm as her car had been, and Rey sighed in silent relief. Rey looked to the far right of the café to see Ben sitting at his usual corner table. He had dark circles under his eyes, and his leg bounced quickly beneath the table. Rey also noted that he didn’t have a coffee in his hands or at the table. She walked quietly over to the table, but Ben took no notice as he read something on his phone. Rey stopped directly in front of the table, behind her usual seat, but Ben still hadn’t noticed her presence. Rey wasn’t sure if she should be amused or concerned. She tapped lightly on the table with her knuckles, causing Ben to snap his head up to meet her gaze. His eyes were blown wide with confusion until he took in who was in front of him. Ben let out a sigh of relief, and Rey wasn’t sure if it was from her being the one at the table, or if it was from her finally showing up for coffee.

“Hey,” Rey greeted quietly, her voice slightly rough with sleep.

“Mornin’,” Ben returned as he stood from his seat. Rey took in his casual attire, similar to the clothes from the day before, just in different shades. His forest green cotton long-sleeve shirt clung to his skin and showed every movement, and his dark gray jogger pants looked quite comfortable. 

“What?” Ben asked, wary of her eyes taking him in.

“Huh?” Rey’s head snapped up. “Oh, nothing. I’m just surprised you own more than one pair of sweatpants.”

The corner of Ben’s lips lifted slightly. “I do workout, you know.”

Obviously. This was what Rey wanted to say, but she forced herself to hold her tongue. “I’m surprised you don’t wear dress pants to the gym.”

Ben rolled his eyes, but his smile remained. “Coffee?” he asked, changing the topic.

Rey nodded and followed him in line, and he had taken a step back to let her in first. Rey had gladly taken the spot as she eagerly awaited her morning coffee to wake her up.

“Ah!” Frank exclaimed as Rey stepped up to the register. “What will it be, this morning?” 

Rey offered the man a small smile before answering, “A medium vanilla cappuccino.”

Ben ordered after her and stood next to her as they waited for their jitter juice. Rey was quite comfortable in the overly-heated café and her worn but cozy hoodie. She was beginning to zone out, no longer at the coffee shop, and instead somewhere warm, quiet, and with plug-in fragrances that smelled of coffee. She was perfectly content in this dream world until something bumped her shoulder, and she thought she heard someone say her name.

“You okay?” the voice asked. Ben.

“Huh?” Rey looked up into concerned hazel eyes. “Yeah, I’m good. I just- zoned out.”

Ben didn’t break the eye contact like she had expected, and instead continued to look down at her intensely with those large doe eyes. “Tired?” he asked. Rey just nodded. “I can get your coffee for you if you wanna go ahead and sit down.”

Rey nodded. “Thanks,” she offered quietly and made her way to their usual table, just in time too, it seemed, for a woman stopped short when Rey sat at her and Ben’s usual table. The woman stood still for another moment before turning and finding another table.

Rey looked outside where the sky was a light gray with streaks of sunshine breaking through the clouds. Although the sight was not as striking as a clear blue sky, it was still beautiful in its own right. There were days where she missed the never ending skies of Arizona, but she certainly did not miss the never ending brown of the landscape. She found that she preferred the usual dirt on the ground over the sand in the junkyard she had spent most of her childhood years at. There was much she preferred in New York over Arizona, but the people were just as indifferent in both locations. Although she had traveled hundreds of miles, she found that people didn’t really change, at least, not in their core. Of course, there had been people back in Arizona that she had come to like, and there were people in New York that she had grown quite fond of, but she found that her overall hope of humanity had not increased like she thought that it would once she made it to New York. She knew that hope had been born from ignorance and naivety, but she had held on to it for as long as she could.

Rey jerked from her thoughts when a coffee cup was placed in front of her on the table. She looked up to see Ben pulling his chair out, his own coffee in his right hand. “Thank you,” Rey finally spoke up, though her voice was still soft.

Ben sat down with a sigh and pulled his seat up closer to the table. He waved her thanks away and replied, “No problem.” He took a long sip of his coffee before setting it on the table. Rey followed suit, and she immediately felt both more warm and awake as she sipped at her cappuccino. 

After a few short moments, Rey realized that silence was weighing heavy at the table, and she looked up to see Ben looking down at his hands which were resting on the table. Something in her dropped when she realized that Ben looked just as tired as she felt, with dark circles under his eyes and his barely controlled hair. Rey also noticed a bit of stubble growing on his jawline and chin.

“How’s your coffee?” Ben asked, breaking the silence first. Rey’s head jerked up to meet Ben’s eyes.

“Good. Yours?” she asked politely. Then, before he could answer her first question. “What did you get, anyways?”

“Same as yesterday, and it’s good,” Ben replied. The silence hung for a moment before Ben broke it. “So,” he started awkwardly, “I saw you had to defend the table.”

Rey nodded. “Yep, she was headed right this way. I won though, for I have the bitchier face.” Ben chuckled softly at that. 

“Long morning?”

“That obvious?” 

Ben shrugged. “You just seem really tired, more so than usual.”

“So do you,” Rey countered, for some reason feeling defensive.

“Nah,” Ben replied with a shrug. “I’m the same level of tired as I always am.” Rey couldn’t argue with this. The dark circles under Ben’s eyes seemed permanent over the months that Rey had seen him. “So, what’s your excuse?”

Rey blew out a breath. “It wasn’t a long morning so much as a long night. I woke up fifteen minutes before ten and had to rush over here. Then, I almost fell back asleep in the parking lot.” Rey offered a weak smile to try to soften her words, but she could see that Ben wasn’t amused. 

“You could’ve canceled; I would’ve understood.”

Rey shrugged. “I don’t have your number, and I would have felt guilty if I just hadn’t shown up.”

“Oh,” was Ben’s only reply. “Well, I can give you my number, if that’s alright.”

“Yeah, sure,” Rey replied as she pulled out her phone and pulled up the contacts app. She handed her phone over to Ben who quickly tapped in the information before handing it back over. Before setting the phone down, Rey quickly tapped out a message and sent it. 

Just as she set her phone down, Ben’s watch vibrated against the table. “Oh, sorry about that,” Ben said as he took his wrist off the table.

“Go ahead and check it,” Rey said, fighting the grin that was trying to spread on her face. Ben must have been tired if he didn’t immediately realize that the text was from her.

Ben pulled out his phone and read the message:  
Good morning stranger

Ben rolled his eyes. “Good morning,” he returned. Rey saw him quickly save her contact in his phone.

“Oh,” Rey said suddenly, a blush creeping across her cheeks. “Do you need a last name?”

“Nope,” Ben replied. “You’re the only ‘Rey’ in my contacts.”

Rey couldn’t help the audible sigh of relief and Ben slid his phone back in his pocket. Rey knew Ben had noticed first her unease then her relief by the way his eyes kept flicking from the table and back up to her, but he said nothing. 

“Back to the topic at hand,” Ben started, catching Rey’s attention, “You don’t have to stay. That’s okay, I-”

“No,” Rey cut him off. “I’m already starting to wake up some. Coffee does wonders.”

Ben nodded. “That it does.”

Ben took a long sip from his coffee, and he glanced up when a few more people walked into the café. Rey noticed that he was taking in the entire coffee shop, his eyes going from person to person before stopping on his cup of coffee setting in the middle of the table. Rey became wary as she noticed this, along with the nervous hand through the hair. Why was he so nervous? Granted, he had seemed just as nervous in the full shop during the thunderstorm a month before. As Rey glanced down at the floor in her own nervousness, she noticed that his feet also gave away just how nervous he was, with his toes pointed inwards and touching beneath his chair. As Rey glanched back up at Ben, who was now looking out the large window on his left, she realized that his intentions were not heinous, but that he seemed genuinely nervous to be there. She was not certain if the nerves came from the full coffee shop or the sort of ‘coffee date’ they were on, but she suspected that it was a combination of the two.

“You okay?” Rey spoke up, and she made sure that her voice was soft, as to not startle him.

Ben still jumped at the sound of her voice, but he quickly relaxed. “Yeah, I’m good. Just-” his voice trailed off and Rey could tell that he was searching for the right thing to say. “Just tired,” he finally finished.

“Not a big fan of crowded places?” Rey asked.

Ben’s large eyes met hers, seemingly surprised at the observation. “Yeah, that too,” he admitted.

Ben sat back in his seat with a sigh before taking another long sip. After a few moments of silence, Ben finally broke it with, “So, long night?”

“Anyone ever tell you that you have a one-tracked mind?” she asked, once again slightly defensive.

Ben shrugged. “A lot, actually.” He took another long sip of coffee before returning it to the table. “You don’t have to tell me about it, if you don’t want to.”

“It’s,” Rey paused. “A bit of a story with a lot of complaining. You don’t have to-”

“No,” Ben interrupted her. “Go ahead.”

Rey sighed and leaned forward in her seat, her elbows resting heavy on the table. “Well, I was in a good mood all day yesterday,” she started. “Work flew by, for once, and so did my time volunteering. It was a good day, actually. Of course, that couldn’t last,” Rey laughed bitterly, but Ben remained silent across from her. Rey sighed heavily then continued, “Like I said, volunteering at the shelter flew by, and at the end of the evening I talked to Sheila.” Rey saw Ben stiffen across from her, but it was a miniscule movement that she barely noticed. “She did remember you, quite fondly, actually. And she was proud of you for turning your life around.” Ben didn’t seem to relax, but his slightly wide eyes showed his surprise. “She was happy to hear from you and that you were doing okay, but my friends-” Rey sighed heavily again. “One of them didn’t say anything but the other one- I wish he hadn’t said anything.” Rey became quiet as the evening replayed in her mind.

“Why?” Ben broke the silence. “What’d he say to you?”

“He said that you were dangerous and that trouble followed you,” Rey admitted softly. “He blamed you for the shooting. He- he also said that he graduated with you.” Ben’s head tilted at that. “His name’s Poe, Poe Dameron.”

He hadn’t shown a reaction to the name before, and the only reaction he showed the second time was confusion. “I don’t-” he trailed off. “I don’t remember a Poe, but it was a big high school. Besides, I’m sure a lot more people had at least heard of me compared to me knowing about them.” Rey nodded; it made sense, with Ben being a troublemaker and constantly getting in trouble on the streets. “Hm,” Ben suddenly hummed while reaching for his coffee.

“What?” Rey asked, confused.

After another long sip, Ben replied, “It kinda makes you wonder where everyone is, you know? If the guy on the streets is in prison; if the smart kid ever got his degrees, and if the class whore has changed. You know?” Ben asked bluntly.

Rey laughed at the unexpected questions. “I wouldn’t have thought to put it that way, but I guess you’re right.”

Ben rolled his eyes, but a grin lightened his face. “Oh please, there’s at least one for every class at every school since forever. So, which one were you?”

Rey nearly choked on her coffee, and she could hear Ben chuckling across the table. Rey coughed a few times then answered, “I don’t know, the quiet girl?”

Ben tilted his head at that. “Really?”

“Yeah, I mean, I mostly kept to myself. I was friendly, or tried to be, when people talked to me, but I think being known as one of the foster kids at the junkyard didn’t really set me up well to make a lot of friends.”

For a long moment, Ben didn’t say anything. When he finally spoke, Rey was surprised by his question, “Must have been a smaller school, huh?”

“Yeah, how’d you know?”

Ben shrugged a single shoulder. “Being a foster kid in a city isn’t as shocking.” Rey was surprised by just how much sense Ben was making that morning; he was on a roll. “And I guess I can kinda see the whole quiet girl brewing quietly in the corner.”

Rey shot him a glare, but Ben only chuckled in response. “And what were you, hm?” Rey asked, her defenses rising once again.

“Really?” Ben asked, and Rey could feel her defensiveness growing even more. “Come on, I’m sure you can guess.”

“White street kid from a decent family. So, most people thought that you were a stupid thug that would spend your life in prison. I’m assuming you didn’t show up to class much, so you couldn’t actually make any friends in school.”

Ben laughed. “No need to get so defensive,” he told her lightly, and she felt her cheeks turn a bright red. “And you’re absolutely right. All of my friends I met on the streets. You did get one thing wrong, though,” he teased with a smile.

Rey raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“I did attend classes. I obviously attended enough to graduate. Also, think about it from the perspective of someone living on the street.”

Rey went from amused to confused in a single moment. “Wait, you lived on the streets.”

Ben nodded slowly. “Yeah. I went to school because it was air conditioning in the summer, heating in the winter, and I could sometimes sneak into the gym locker room to take a shower. Also, sometimes a lunch lady would leave out the leftover PB & J’s where we could find them immediately after school let out.”

Rey guessed she shouldn’t be surprised. Ben and Sheila had both said he would take showers at the shelter house and that he would sometimes seek refuge there. “Huh,” Rey finally said.

Ben’s shoulder raised and stiffened. “What?”

“Nothing to be defensive about,” Rey replied. “I just didn’t put the dots together that you lived on the streets. I thought you just spent most of your time there. I guess since you said you came from a good family…” Rey trailed off. Ben’s shoulders hadn’t relaxed any, and his lips formed a terse, tense line. “I’m not judging, honest,” Rey promised, her voice just above a whisper.

Ben finally relaxed, slightly, at that. “Like I said,” Ben looked down at his lap, “I had a pretty nasty falling out with my family. I didn’t…”

The space between them suddenly became quiet and heavy. Rey cursed her stupidity and not being able to put the dots together sooner, and as a result, unintentionally creating the tense atmosphere between them. Ben was now withdrawn into his own mind, his lips still in a tense line and his arms crossed on his chest. 

Rey sipped at her coffee and quickly tried to think of a different topic to discuss. However, she was distracted as she noticed a single droplet drip from Ben’s hairline down his temple before a large hand wiped it away before returning to its prior position. Now, Rey could see that Ben’s hairline was damp, and another drop of sweat slid down the other temple. Rey also just noticed that at some point during the conversation, Ben had pulled his sleeves up, as they were now bunched above his elbows.

Rey tapped her watch screen and noted that it was 45°F outside- not too bad. She looked back up to see that one of Ben’s arms had dropped and was now loosely draped across his abdomen and the other hand was raised and wiping sweat from his brow.

“Wanna go for a walk?” Rey offered.

Ben looked up quickly at the unexpected question. “What? Oh, I’m fine-”

Rey wasn’t going to take no for an answer, so she stood from her seat and picked up her half empty coffee cup. “Come on,” she urged and motioned at the door with her head. 

“You sure?” Ben asked, not moving from his seat.

Rey rolled her eyes. “I’m the one that offered. Come on,” she urged once more.

Ben sighed but nodded as she stood from his seat. He picked up his large coffee and followed her towards the door. 

When Rey opened the door, the cold and the wind smacked her in the face, but Ben’s presence behind her urged her out into the cool air. Rey immediately pulled her sleeves down past her hands and began to rub them together. She looked up when a chuckle sounded directly next to and above her. 

“You sure you want to?” Ben asked gently, a kind smile softening the bite of the laughter. “I’ll be okay if you want to go back in.”

Rey nodded. “Let’s walk; that’ll help.” Ben chuckled once more, and Rey noted that it was a kind sound, not a mocking one. 

As they walked down the sidewalk and past the small stores, Ben seemed to relax more and more. He ran a hand through his hair, fluffing it and pulling it away from his sweaty neck. Rey saw the beads of sweat before the wind quickly dried them. Ben sighed at the cooling effect and returned his hand to his side as they walked.

“Better?” Rey asked.

Ben nodded and offered her a small smile. “Yeah, thank you.”

Rey shrugged it off. “Don’t worry about it. You could’ve said something earlier, though; it looked like you were actually melting.”

“I’ve always done better in the cold,” he replied. “A hot, stuffy café filled with a decent crowd,” Ben raised his shoulders then let them drop heavily. “It’s just not my thing. I’ve never liked crowds- or heat.”

“I can understand the crowd part,” Rey offered. “I think ‘loner’ and ‘crowds’ are antonyms, right?” she asked with a laugh. “I don’t know though, I barely passed my English class.”

Ben laughed, and before Rey could wonder at which part, he quickly said, “Yeah, I guess they are.”

A beat of silence passed between them before Ben broke it. “You know, there’s something I’ve wanted to ask you for the past month or so,” he started, “You said you’re from Arizona right?”

“Yeah,” Rey answered, though it came out stretched and sounding like a question.

“Where did you get the accent from?”

“I’m originally from England, and my foster parent also had an English accent.”

“Ah,” Ben replied. “Should’ve guessed the first part.”

Rey rolled her eyes. “What? No jokes about being whether I’m legal or not?”

Ben chuckled. “Nah, I’ll spare you. Also, you were in the foster system, so…”

“Yeah, yeah, alright Mr. Brainiac.”

“What?” Ben asked with a laugh.

Rey met Ben’s smile with her own before she looked away and back down the street. “You keep using logic to figure things out that I usually have to explain to people, and you have to keep explaining everything about yourself.” Rey felt her smile begin to falter.

“Well, you did get the crowds thing,” he offered with a chuckle. “And don’t worry, I won’t hold it against you,” Ben continued in his teasing tone, which Rey found wasn’t too far from his usual tone. “You had a rough night and little sleep; I’m used to running on no sleep and just an obnoxious amount of caffeine.”

“Teach me your ways.”

Ben laughed again. “No, I don’t think you want that,” his voice began to fade along with his smile.

Rey quickly chased after it. “Alright, I’ll teach you the ways of sleeping. Step one, no more than three cups of coffee a day.” Ben chuckled and a smile returned to his lips, so she continued, “Step two, no coffee after four. Honestly, it should be sooner than that, but I don’t think you could accomplish that.”

“Well, you’re not wrong.” Rey looked up to see that Ben still had a smile on his face, and she relaxed at the sight.

Ben took a long sip from his cup, and Rey was surprised that there was any still left. Rey took a drink of her own coffee, disappointed to find that she only had drops left. Ben chuckled as she tipped the cup completely upside down and tried to shake out the last few drops. 

He suddenly wrapped a large hand around her arm, and before she could object, he led her slightly to her left, and from the corner of her eye she could see the trash bin she had just narrowly missed. As soon as the trash bin was cleared, Ben let go of her arm and instead placed his hand in his sweatpants pocket. Rey finished shaking out the last few drops before suddenly stopping. Ben nearly stumbled, trying to stop as well, and Rey couldn’t hold back her laugh as she back tracked to the trash bin and tossed her coffee cup. She jogged back up to where Ben was waiting for her with an amused expression.

“Should’ve got a large, huh?”

Rey shook her head. “Nope, unlike someone else, I try to have self-control. Also, didn’t we just discuss limiting the amount of coffee you drink per day?” Ben’s smile widened as he shook his head in amusement and continued walking down the street. Rey followed after him with a light laugh. “How much coffee do you drink a day?” she asked incredulously.

“Don’t ask questions you don’t want to know the answers to,” he warned, his smile not faltering.

Rey laughed once more before letting it fade. “No, but seriously, how much coffee do you drink a day?”

Ben’s own amused smile also faded, but he didn’t seem uncomfortable by Rey’s questioning. “Hm, guess it depends on the day, more on the weekdays, the most on wednesdays, although, fridays aren’t far behind.”

“Really? First question, why wednesdays?”

“Middle of the week,” he answered quickly. 

“Alright. Second question, why fridays?”

“End of the work week. I’m usually exhausted and don’t stay after long, if at all.”

“You mean you don’t always work yourself to death?” Rey asked, slightly mocking. “But only fridays, right?”

“Actually, no,” Ben replied, a small smirk lifting one corner of his lips. “The first time I sat with you at Frank’s, that was a Tuesday.”

“The thunderstorm day?” she looked up and asked. He nodded and took another sip of coffee. 

Rey chuckled as Ben slowed to a halt while tipping the cup nearly vertical, a larger mirror image of what Rey had done a few moments before. “Get the last drop?” she asked with a smile.

Rey laughed as Ben caught the final drop with his tongue before quickly righting himself. “Yes, I did, actually.” He tossed the cup into the upcoming trash bin as they passed it. 

“Ready to turn back?” he asked suddenly. Rey felt her face drop at the question, and she watched as Ben quickly scrambled to fix it. “We don’t have to; I was just offering. A few more blocks?” he offered.

“Yeah, I’d like that,” Rey replied with a small smile as they continued down the pavement.

Rey had to walk somewhat quickly to keep up with Ben’s long strides, although it didn’t bother her since she typically walked fast, anyway. Ben walked with both hands in his pockets, and Rey noted that he swayed from side to side as he walked, making his walk look more powerful than what it was. Because of the swaying, his hair bounced on his head, making the dark hair catch and reflect the scarce light of late morning in waves.

“You know,” Rey started over the comfortable silence they had fallen into. “You never did answer my question.”

“Hm?” Ben hummed next to her, apparently somewhat in a daze.

“You never told me how much coffee you drink in a day.”

Ben shrugged. “I don’t know, I usually fix a small cup and drink it before I leave. This is after the gym, so I do drink water, by the way.”

“Doubtful. I’m sure I’d catch you at the gym drinking espresso.”

Ben offered a short chuckle to the weak joke. “Then,” he continued, “I fill up my eighteen ounce thermos with coffee. Sometimes that’s all I have while at work since I don’t want to buy enough coffee to support my addiction both at work and at my apartment. Then, I have another, regular sized cup usually within an hour of getting home, whenever that is. I guess that’s the scenario with the least amount of caffeine.”

Rey shook her head. “How hasn’t your heart stopped beating?”

To Rey’s surprise, Ben laughed at the joke, clear and loud; it was the loudest he had been with her, and it was from a joke about his heart stopping. Rey had only been half joking; however, she didn’t tell him that, as not to spoil the moment or his happiness. 

“Why?” Ben asked, his voice light and full of amusement. “Are you concerned?” Ben’s following laughter lightened the question, but Rey still nearly flinched at it. But, Rey knew Ben wasn’t looking for a genuine answer, so she played along.

“No, it’s just, it would take me a while to find a new person to complain about employees to and discuss coffee addictions with. Plus, I don’t think I could find someone with the same level of a caffeine addiction as you.”

“You’re probably right. But if they did, then that means you’d have to find a third person, and that would just be too much work.”

Rey rolled her eyes. “Don’t tempt me. I’ll find a new one right now.”

“You know what, go ahead. I saw a man in there with a receding hairline that looked pretty lonely.”

“Oh-” Rey smacked his arm, which resulted in another of Ben’s loud laughs. This time, she saw his face while he laughed, and she could see the crow’s feet around his closed eyes and his slightly crooked canines through his open mouth. “You’re unbelievable.” 

Ben calmed down, though a smile still lit up his face. “Yeah, but I’m not that bad of a coffee shop acquaintance.”

Rey was surprised that he had gone with a less personal term and, although she wouldn’t admit it, she was a bit hurt, too. “Oh, so now we’re just ‘acquaintances’? Even after I told you I was a foster kid and the whole bit about your past?” Rey asked, only partially kidding.

“Alright, alright,” Ben retreated, apparently picking up on her passive aggressive comments, “Point taken. The point still stands though.”

“What?” Rey asked, confused.

“That I’m not that bad of a coffee shop companion,” Ben exaggerated. 

Rey rolled her eyes for the upteenth time that morning. “Fine, you’re not that bad of a companion.”

Ben chuckled. “Thought so.”

As they approached the end of the sidewalk, Ben once again grabbed ahold of Rey’s arm, his grip loose, and instead turned her to the side. Instead of walking further down, they crossed the street and began walking back on the opposite sidewalk.

“Why’d we cross?” Rey asked, looking up at him. Ben had let go of her arm and was walking behind her to walk on her other side, the side closer to the street.

Ben looked down meeting her eyes as they walked, slower than before. “I don’t know, just seemed weird to do a 180 and go back the exact same way.”

“You’re weird.” Rey chuckled up at him, and he shook his head in amusement. 

“Hey, you actually showed up today. You chose to have this weirdness on your Sunday morning.”

“Actually?” Rey echoed. “What do you mean ‘actually’?”

Ben shrugged, his cheeks turning slightly pink. “I don’t know, at about ten minutes after I started to think that you ditched me. Which, would’ve been fine, especially since you didn’t have my number, but-”

“You’re alright,” Rey cut him off. “I would’ve thought the same thing.” 

Ben opened his mouth, seemingly ready to protest, but shouting just up the street caught their attention instead. A couple of guys, seemingly in their late teens or early twenties were in two separate groups and were yelling at each other from across the street. At first, Rey thought they were arguing, until she heard what they were saying, then she realized that they were just stupid. Ben’s loose grip around her arm returned, and he looked to the side, obviously planning to go around them.

“Do you know your way around here?” Rey asked him as he looked down one large alleyway. 

“I do, and honestly-” he trailed off, his grip unconsciously becoming tighter around Rey’s arm. “It’s probably better to just stay on the pavement; one block over you’re heading into sketchy territory, even during daylight.

Rey nodded. “Okay,” she agreed, although she didn’t know much about this particular street. She just had to take Ben’s word for it.

“So,” Ben started, a few long moments later, “Have work tonight?”

“Nope,” Rey replied with a pop. “Why?”

Ben shook his head. “Just curious. You weren’t wearing a bright polo. Although, you did ask to go for coffee in the morning, so I thought maybe you had work tonight.”

“Oh yeah, this was my idea, wasn’t it?” Rey asked with a short laugh. “I forgot about that.”

“See, like I said earlier, you chose this weirdness, so you can’t complain.”

Rey laughed. “That’s not fair. I think I’m entitled to just a bit-”

Rey stopped when she heard a loud whistle, and she realized that it was coming from in front of them. Rey squinted, trying to see what was ahead when she felt Ben squeeze her arm. Rey quickly remembered the group of boys ahead of them that they had been trying to ignore.

Ben turned his head towards Rey’s and lowered it enough so that he could whisper in her ear, “Just ignore them; they’re just assholes. They typically stay on the next street over.”

Ah. Rey guessed that if they had taken the detour to the side, they would have been greeted with more groups similar to the one ahead.

Ben suddenly straightened again, his height towering over her once more. “But go ahead with what you were saying.” Rey looked up, confused, not remembering what the conversation had been about. “You were talking about how you’re allowed to complain about me and my strangeness even though you were the one who asked me-” he paused “for coffee.” Apparently, he didn’t know what this was either.

“I am allowed to,” Rey continued, “But I don’t feel the need to.” Ben looked down at her, his eyes not shining as they had before. “You’ve been a pretty good acquaintance.”

Ben sighed, but a small smile graced his lips. “I knew I’d be paying for that.”

“Although,” she stretched the word out, getting his attention, “We still have a few blocks and dumbasses to go.”

Ben chuckled. “Well, I’d hate to fail in the final stretch.”

Rey used her free hand to pat Ben’s larger hand that still had a grip on her arm. “I think you’ll do alright.” Rey looked up just in time to catch the bright pink on Ben’s cheek bones along with the embarrassed smile before they were momentarily hidden by his long hair. He shook his head and raised a hand, pushing the hair back out of his eyes, and Rey was tempted to push the hair back into his face, just to see what he would do. But she didn’t, only because of the boys further down the pavement.

Another whistle, this one much closer, caught Rey’s attention once more. Rey straightened a bit as she walked and she felt Ben do the same, although, his change of stance made him look more intimidating while Rey’s made her look even more nervous. Ben rubbed his thumb up and down her sleeved bicep in a comforting manner. 

“Hey, pretty thing!” One boy called. There were four of them on the same side of the pavement as Rey and Ben, and there were three more on the other side. “Hey, I’m talking to you, pretty thing,” the boy tried again. He was almost the same height as Rey. Half of his hair was bleached, the rest dark roots that hadn’t been dyed. His clothes, a dark hoodie and pale ripped jeans, were wrinkled and dirty, and Rey could smell the booze rolling off of him.

The boy, maybe nineteen or twenty, began walking from the edge of the sidewalk and closer to Rey, but Ben quickened his pace, resulting in the guy walking straight into Ben’s side. The boy bounced off and stumbled backwards a step, while Ben barely moved and continued walking as if no one had touched him. Ben was not only tall but wide, and he had muscle to fill out his large frame. The boy had obviously taken note of this, but he continued to follow them as they walked further down the sidewalk.

The boy got right next to Ben and continued trying to get Rey’s attention. “Hey! I just need a minute, maybe two. I’m already-” Rey didn’t want to hear the end of that sentence, and thankfully because of Ben, she didn’t have to. Ben stepped just a bit to side to shoulder check the kid, sending him sprawling backwards. 

“Bastard!” the kid yelled after them as they walked passed. Ben’s pace had quickened, and Rey was nearly jogging to keep up with him. Behind her, she could hear running footsteps, and she turned just in time to see the kid running at them. Rey tightened her fist, and was prepared to take a swing if need be, but Ben suddenly stopped and turned on his heels to face the kid. Now, he was standing between Rey and the kid with the bad hairstyle. 

The kid skidded to a halt just in time to avoid another collision with Ben’s larger frame. “That’s enough; back off.” Ben’s voice wasn’t loud, but it was firm and never wavered. 

The kid was close enough to Ben that he had to crane his neck to look up at him. “Fuck you,” the kid spat, but Ben obvoiusly wasn’t phased. Instead, his attention was now on the tattoo on the side of the kid’s neck. Ben raised a hand and brought it towards the kid’s face.

“Ben,” Rey was about to stop him, but Ben didn’t do what she expected him to.

Instead, Ben lightly gripped the kid’s jaw and turned it to the side to get a better look at the tattoo. “Markos, really?” Ben asked. He let go of the kid’s jaw roughly, and the kid quickly took three steps back from the large man. “If you’re going to be in a gang, at least be in one that isn’t known for backing out of every fight.”

The kid swallowed, confusion mixing with the fear already on his face. “How the hell do you know about us?”

“How do you think?” Ben asked, one eyebrow quirked in amusement and questioning. “Take my advice kid: get out. Now, fuck off.”

The kid flinched, even though Ben had raised his voice only slightly. Rey, too, had flinched, but she tightened her hold on Ben. He looked back at Rey and the tightened grip, and his expression immediately softened. He rubbed his thumb up and down her arm a few times before turning back to the kid.

“Alright,” the kid said, shrugging nonchalantly, but the crack in his voice betrayed his false confidence. He turned around and jogged back towards his group of friends who were watching Ben with a mixture of fear, anger, and fascination. 

Ben himself turned back around as well. “Come on,” he said, his voice suddenly soft, “let’s get going.” Rey’s free hand was still clenched around Ben’s wrist, and she didn’t plan on removing it until they got back to the parking lot. Ben’s thumb had returned to rubbing soothingly against her arm and his gait had slowed to a pace her shorter legs could keep up with.

After a minute of silence, Rey looked up to see Ben look down and off to the side, looking almost defeated, a stark contrast from the stoicness and confidence from moments before. “Hey,” Rey started, her voice quiet, but her voice dropped off, unsure of what she wanted to say next.

“I’m sorry,” Ben said suddenly, his voice thick. Rey looked up again, fearing to see tears or redness in his hazel eyes due to the thick and rough sound of his voice. Thankfully, his eyes were dry and clear, and Rey’s shoulders slumped in relief. “I- I shouldn’t-”

“You’re okay,” Rey cut him off. “No one was hurt, and they backed off,” Rey reassured him, and she loosened her grip on his wrist so she could pat his arm. “Really, you did good.”

Ben was looking downing at her with a look of pure shock frozen on his face. Had it not been for the circumstances leading up to it, Rey would have laughed. He swallowed thickly and looked down at the sidewalk, silent as they continued walking. “You thought I was going to,” Ben spoke up.

“I wasn’t sure what you were doing. I couldn’t really see past you; I only saw you raise your arm up. And-” Rey swallowed, looked down, then back up to see that Ben was still staring at his feet as they walked. “Ben.” That got his attention. He looked up and met her eyes as she continued, “I’m not upset with you. Promise.”

Finally, Ben’s shoulders relaxed, as if a weight had been lifted, and he sighed. “Thanks,” he said quietly.

“You know,” Rey said, keeping her tone light. “I’m not sure if you could tell, but I was prepared to throw a punch- if I had to, I mean. The kid was almost the same size as me, so I guess that wouldn’t be fair; I’d have too much of an advantage.” Ben chuckled half-heartedly at Rey’s banter. “I kind of felt bad for him, you know? The kid obviously needed a haircut.” Ben shook his head in disbelief as they walked. “I mean, half his hair was yellow, and the other half was brown. The kid needs to learn how to style his hair because having your hair stick out in every direction is not a style.” Rey continued her hair rant until she heard a genuine chuckle from the man next to her. 

“Thank you,” Ben said softly, almost under his breath, and Rey could hear the sincerity behind it. It was nearly too much.

She gripped his wrist lightly, “Don’t mention it.”

Ben slowed as they approached Frank’s Café, and the disappointment on his face matched the disappointment Rey felt. 

“Would you mind walking with me to the parking lot?” Rey asked him, meeting his eyes. “Unless, you’ve got something better to do.”

Ben gave her a small smile. “I think I can fit it in.”

They crossed the street once again and walked past the café. The small parking lot was just behind the small café. “Did you park back here, too?” Rey asked him.

Ben shook his head. “No, I don’t park down here anymore after someone backed into my parked car and took out a headlight. I was slightly pissed.”

Rey chuckled. “I can imagine.”

“I park closer to my business, just down the street.”

Rey’s forehead crinkled in confusion. She didn’t remember passing a parking lot during their walk. “You mean down past where the boys-”

“No,” Ben cut her off. “Opposite end of the street.”

“Left instead of right?”

“Yep,” Ben confirmed as they stepped into the parking lot. 

Rey led him towards her white Honda Civic. There was a small dent in the rear driver-side door, as well as scratches of various colors on the other side of the car. “I know it’s not much, but it gets me from point A to point B with only minor issues.” Ben only chuckled and shook his head.

They stopped just in front of the driver’s door, and Rey suddenly realized that Ben had already let go of her arm, so she followed suit and let go his wrist and stepped away. Rey opened her car door and tossed her keys, wallet, and phone into the passenger seat from her hoodie and legging’s pockets. Rey stood back up and shut the door, turning back around to face Ben, who was shuffling slightly where he stood.

“You know how you said you didn’t want to ruin it in the final stretch?” Rey started. Ben’s eyes momentarily widened before dropping to the concrete beneath them, and the rest of him seemed to deflate as well. “You didn’t.”

Ben heaved a sigh of relief, followed by a chuckle. He looked up to meet Rey’s eyes, and she was relieved to see the smile that graced his face along with the light that had been reignited behind his eyes. 

“Do you work next Sunday?” Ben asked her, and she felt a smile tug at her lips and she felt something else tug at her heart.

“Sadly, yes. 9 to 4. Same for Saturday as well.”

“Hm,” Ben huffed. “Well, Frank’s doesn’t close ‘til 7 on Saturday. Or, we can go somewhere else you’d like. Your choice.”

Rey hummed in thought. “Let’s do Frank’s one more time, then we’ll see where else we can go. Saturday at 5:30, alright?” Ben simply nodded. “Sweet. I guess we could do earlier, but I think I should probably take a shower and change before meeting up.”

Ben shrugged with a small, teasing smile. “Why? You know I like your bright ass polos.”

Rey rolled her eyes. “Yeah, sure you do.” Everytime she wore one of her work shirts to the café, Ben would relentlessly tease her for it, saying that it would cause him to go blind before he reached his forties.

An awkward silence fell between them as neither knew what to say next. Ben kept shifting his weight between his feet, sort of teetering in place, while Rey looked down at her feet.

“I, uh, guess I’ll see you later,” Ben said, taking one for the team. “Rey,” at the soft call of her name, Rey’s head snapped up and her eyes met Ben’s own. “It was fun. I- I’ll see you later.”

Rey’s demeanor softened at the sincerity. “I had fun too, and- yeah, I’ll probably see you before Saturday.”

Ben took a few steps back and gave Rey a small, awkward wave before turning around and retreating from the parking lot. Rey watched him walk away as she settled into her car and turned it on. Instantly, the high heat from earlier smacked her in the face, and she quickly turned the heat down from full blast. Rey looked back up to see that Ben was already turning the corner by Frank’s, his long legs carrying him the short distance in no time. Rey just shook her head and pulled out of the parking lot, heading home to watch her favorite sitcom in her favorite pair of fuzzy socks.

[Ben]

Ben felt both light and still awkward as he walked to the corner of the street. Behind him, he heard Rey’s car start up then pull out of the parking lot. He turned his head back just enough to see her beat up Civic tremble down the street. He shook his head then rounded the corner, once again back at Frank’s. He had no intentions of stopping, but as he walked past the large front window, he could see Frank standing behind the register with two thumbs and a questioning look on his face. Ben sighed but turned around, head back to the door of Frank’s Café. As Ben opened the small, black door with obvious brush strokes, the small silver bell above him chimed, announcing his arrival, even though Frank was already well aware of Ben’s return.

“Solo!” Frank exclaimed, barely able to contain his own excitement. Frank waved him towards the far end of the pick-up counter with a wide smile on his face. Ben rolled his eyes but trudged across the shop, hands in his pockets and head tilted slightly towards the floor. Frank seemed to suddenly take in Ben’s demeanor, for his thousand watt dimmed, if only slightly. “So,” Frank started, his voice less loud than usual, “How’d it go?”

Ben rolled his eyes as he set his hands on the counter, leaning slightly forward on it. “Good, I think.” He shrugged. “We’re doing it again next weekend, so it couldn’t have gone too bad.”

“What’d she say about it, hm?”

“She said it was fun.” Ben shrugged. “I brought up next weekend, this time, and I gave her my number.”

Frank chuckled with his bright smile returning to its full wattage. “Ah, I knew you had something in you, Solo. I’m surprised you got this one, though,” Frank added, a mischievous smirk replacing the genuine smile. Ben cocked an eyebrow in confusion. “It’s just, I thought this girl, Rey, was a bit out of your league.” 

Ben chuckled shortly at that, his eyes dropping to the counter. “Yeah, you’re not wrong,” Ben admitted in a sigh.

Ben looked up when Frank pushed lightly at one of his shoulders, getting his attention. “Don’t count yourself short, Solo; you’re a young, pretty guy-”

“Alright, alright,” Ben said, cutting Frank short. “I’ve heard enough.”

Frank laughed his usual loud laugh, and if all eyes in the café weren’t on them already, they definitely would be by that point. Once Frank settled down some, he laid a heavy hand on Ben’s shoulder, and something genuine crossed his large features. “You know, I’m proud of you, boy.” He patted his shoulder before dropping his hand down to the counter. Ben wasn’t sure what to do with that, but before he could come up with something, Frank continued, “Now, just don’t mess it up.”

Ben let out a low, startled laugh. “Yeah, that’s- that’s the goal.”

Frank sighed and tapped lightly against the counter. “Alright, Solo, I’ll let you go so you can go back to working yourself into an early grave.”

Ben rolled his eyes. “Thanks, how considerate of you.”

Ben leaned back from the counter, preparing to leave before Frank spoke up again. “When you are two coming this weekend?” Frank asked before Ben could escape.

“Uh, Saturday around 5:30, why?”

Frank nodded. “Alright, I’m gonna switch with Alfie-”

“Frank, don’t worry about it. We’ll probably go for another wa-”

“No, no,” Frank talked over him, “I have to be there. I have to make sure you don’t screw this up. Also, you have to tell me how it went afterwards.”

Ben rolled his eyes. “Alright, whatever makes you happy, Frank.”

This time when Ben stepped away from the counter, Frank let him. The large man offered him a friendly smile and wave before bustling over to the cash register. Ben hid his fond smile by looking down at the floor as he quickly left the small shop.

Once outside, he sighed in relief as the cool air once again bit through his thin shirt. Ben wasn’t sure how Frank could spend over half the day in such a stuffy shop, but the man had the right to make the store as warm as he wanted; it was his shop, after all. 

Ben let out an audible sigh as he walked toward his park car, the walk feeling longer and lonely. Maybe, meeting with this girl- Rey, he corrected himself- was a mistake. Maybe, he was better off on his own. Maybe-

Maybe it was worth a shot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Hope you like this this chapter. The next one is shorter, and I think I like it more.  
> Stay safe!


	7. It Starts with a Chicken Sandwich

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and Ben talk after an impromptu dinner, and things get disgustingly sweet. You're welcome.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I return with one chapter and one chapter only! Hey- it's something.  
> Honestly, this chapter is easily my favorite so far. It's tooth-rottingly sweet with just a dash of angst.  
> Don't forget to leave comments/kudos, they're much appreciated!

[Rey]

The wind howled in the dark hours of the late November evening, and the day’s usual trash tumbled down the street being carried by the powerful gusts. Rey watched as an empty milk carton did somersaults past her feet. To her left, she heard the door to the fast food restaurant open, and with her peripheral vision, she spotted Ben stepping out into the windy night. His hair was instantly picked up by the wind, blowing it up in every direction and into his face. Ben sputtered and tried to pull the hair out of his face, leaving a hand up to keep the hair from blowing back across.

“You didn’t have to wait for me,” Ben started as he stopped next to her. “It’s windy as hell; you could’ve gone.”

Rey looked up at the man struggling against his hair, “Well, I decided to wait. Besides, this is pretty entertaining.” Ben scowled down at her, so Rey gave an amused grin in return. “You could pull your hair back into a bun, or something,” she offered.

Ben shook his head, causing more hair to fall into his face. “Why? So, I can look like a hipster douche? I don’t think so.”

Rey rolled her eyes. “Well, at least you’d be able to see.”

“Hey,” Ben replied, feigning offense, “I went through an emo phase in high school, so I can see through my hair perfectly fine.”

“I’d love to see pictures of that. Little emo Ben.”

“I don’t think there are any, and even if there were, I would never let you see them.”

“Oh, why not? Afraid I’ll leave?”

Ben chuckled and leaned against the wall next to Rey, blocking some of the wind from hitting her. “The fact that you’re still here tells me that you aren’t likely to leave just because I once had a really bad haircut- and fashion sense.”

“Guess that’s a good point,” she replied, too tired to continue their usual banter.

Once her shift had ended, she had texted Ben, offering food; sure, it was fast food, but it’s the thought that counts. And although she had been the one to offer to go out, Ben had paid for her dinner because she had been too tired to catch that he hadn’t paid for his meal yet before she ordered. Rey had apologized, offering to pay him back, but Ben had just waved off both the offer and the apology. It had been a long shift at work, and Ben seemed to pick up on her miserable mood immediately. She wasn’t in much of a talkative mood, so Ben had told her about some of the ridiculous people and stories from his day, trying to get her to laugh and lighten up. Ben had been patient with her and her irritable mood, even after she had texted him at ten o’clock at night asking to go get food.

“You look cold,” Ben interrupted her thoughts, “I won’t keep you-”

“Would you sit in my car with me, just for a bit?”

Ben looked down at her, concern evident in his eyes, even in the dark. “You okay?”

Rey nodded. “Yeah, just want some company for a little bit longer. It’s not like I have any plans tonight. I have to go back into work in the morning.”

Ben shrugged off the wall and nodded. “Let’s go before you freeze,” he softened the words with a smile, and Rey had to look down at the pavement as they walked towards her car. Rey quickly clambered into her seat and shut her door against the frigid wind. She fumbled with the keys, anxious to turn on the heat, and while she struggled with the keys, she watched Ben struggle to get into her small car. He ended up bumping his head into the side of the car, cursing beneath his breath, before he finally folded enough into himself to fit into the car. Rey laughed at the ridiculous sight, and Ben looked at her first with a frown that then transformed into a small smile.

“I’m glad my pain is amusing to you,” he teased as he wriggled in the seat, trying to get comfortable. 

“I don’t think they had you in mind when they built this car,” Rey bantered. 

Ben huffed, “Obviously. They seem to hate anyone over six feet tall, and likely anyone over two hundred pounds, too. Why are these seats so small?”

Rey laughed at the offense in his voice. “They’re not. You’re just too big for them.”

“Oh, so now I’m fat, too?” Rey laughed once more, and she saw Ben relax more into his seat. 

Once her laughter had died down, she looked over at Ben to see him watching her, his face amused but eyes gentle. Rey had to look down at her lap, Ben’s doe eyes too big and vulnerable to look into. She was sure that if she looked hard enough into his eyes, she would be able to see everything he was thinking. 

“Thank you,” Rey said quietly, suddenly awkward. “For coming, I mean. And dinner.”

Ben shrugged his wide shoulders. “No problem. It’s not like I had any plants tonight, either. And even if I did,” Ben suddenly paused so he could turn in his seat to face Rey, shaking the whole car in the process, “How could I resist Wendy’s?”

Rey rolled her eyes, but a smile gave away her amusement. “You said you haven’t eaten here in years.”

“So? They have the best chicken sandwiches. Well,” he stretched out the word, “Maybe I shouldn’t judge. I haven’t had a fast food chicken sandwich from anywhere else since- ever.”

“They’re pretty good,” Rey agreed. “I’m surprised you even ate here, being fit and all.”

Ben rolled his eyes. “Honestly, I probably don’t eat as well as I should, so I don’t think one chicken sandwich will change much.”

“Don’t forget the fries,” Rey added, “and the frosty.”

“Alright, alright, point taken.”

A thought suddenly popped into Rey’s head. “You didn’t have dinner before this, did you?” she asked, already having a good guess as to what the answer would be.

Ben sighed. “You wouldn’t believe me if I said ‘I did’, would you?” Rey answered the question with a glare. Ben sighed again, letting his head fall to the side and rest against the seat. “Fine. No, I haven’t eaten since lunch. Happy?”

Rey crossed her arms and turned in her seat, mirroring Ben’s position. “When’d you get home?” Ben only looked down at his lap as an answer. “Ben,” Rey sighed, “You can’t keep doing this-”

“I know. I know,” Ben cut her off. Rey flinched back at Ben’s sudden harsh tone. Ben sighed again and looked out the dirty windshield. “Sorry,” he replied softy, hardly audible. “It’s just- after Thanksgiving, everything’s been busy and chaotic. I’m- I’m just trying to stay caught up, you know?”

“I take it you worked all of Thanksgiving, too, hm?”

Ben nodded. “Yeah. You had work and most places were closed, so I just stayed in and watched tv and did some work.” Ben shrugged a single shoulder. “What’d you do for Thanksgiving, anyway?”

“Worked my early three hour shift, had Thanksgiving at Poe and Finn’s place, then sat on my couch watching sitcoms. Stop changing the subject.”

Ben rolled his eyes and leaned deeper into the seat. “With the holidays I’m only going to get busier, and I’m sure I’ll stay pretty busy during the winter. And I-” Ben trailed off, his eyes slightly wide as he thought of the next few months.

“Hey,” Rey gently nudged his elbow with a hand. “You’ll be okay.”

Ben’s wide eyes met hers before he shook himself, pulling on a charade of calm. “Anyway,” he cleared his throat and rubbed a hand down his face, “With the extra work, I’ll be able to hire some new employees and hopefully be able to fix up the place some more. More employees means less workload on everyone’s shoulders, which would be nice.”

“Sounds like a plan, as long as you don’t work yourself to death before spring comes.”

“Hm,” Ben hummed low in his chest. He let out a long sigh as he shuffled in the seat, still facing Rey. “I’ll try not to.” Rey’s glare intensified, causing Ben to sigh once more. “It’s just-”

Ben fell quiet, and his eyes had dropped to his hands, where his thumbs were rubbing against the pads of his fingers. “It’s just- what?” Rey asked, failing to make her voice sound patient.

“It-,” Ben took a slow breath then continued, “This is going to sound pathetic.” He shook his head, his eyes now directed out the windshield. “It’s pretty much the only thing I have to fill the time.” Ben’s thumbs rubbed harder and quicker against his fingers. “I work because it’s not like I have anything else to do, anyways.”

Rey made sure her voice was softer than before when she spoke again. “Hobbies?”

Ben shrugged. “I gave those up a long time ago, and now that I have my own business, I feel like if I give up too much time doing something else…” Ben’s voice drifted off.

Silence fell between them, the only noise being the heater blowing out at full blast. Ben kept his eyes directed out the windshield, but Rey doubted that he was seeing anything. His thumbs were still rubbing against his fingers but at a slower pace than before. 

“Well,” Rey broke the silence, voice soft, “Now you have me.”

Ben’s eyes darted towards Rey, still slightly wide. “Good luck with that.” His voice was suddenly rough. “Frank has been on the same warpath as you for a year now, and I think he’s losing.”

Rey shook her head. “No, I meant to fill the time.” Ben’s eyes softened to an unbearable level, but Rey didn’t drop her gaze this time. “I mean, I am on the same warpath as Frank, and I think two versus one will even out the odds.”

Ben chuckled softly. “Maybe,” he conceded. 

Just as another silence was beginning to creep over them, Rey’s phone dinged, alerting her of a text. The loud sound caused Ben to jump, his large frame causing the car to shake.

Rey chuckled softly. “Sorry,” she apologized as she pulled out her phone, “I thought I had my ringer off.” As soon as she read the name she groaned in annoyance and dread.

“What?” Ben asked, his voice soft in the small space.

“It’s my boss.”

“What’d she say?”

“I haven’t read it yet,” Rey snapped. As soon as the words had left her, Rey regretted her tone, but when she quickly peeked up from her phone, Ben was sitting patiently, his eyes still overly expressive and soft. Instead of speaking or apologizing, Rey dropped her gaze back to her phone and read the text.

As she read it, she could feel her eyes start to burn, and soon her vision got too blurry to read the words, so she blinked the wetness away until her vision cleared to a tolerable level. Rey reread the text, the fingers of her free hand tapping against her thigh.

“Rey?” Ben’s soft voice startled her, causing her to nearly drop the phone. “You okay?”

Rey just shook her head and read the text for a third time. She had been making plans, and now all of them would be flying out the window, and not just her plans for the weekend, but all of her plans for the next few weeks, as well. She realized that she shouldn’t complain; people were in desperate search of work, but she could only handle so much.

“Hey,” Ben tried again. 

Rey tried to ignore him. She continued to stare at her phone, although she could no longer read the words, her vision once again going blurry. She heard Ben sigh, sounding annoyed, and she shrunk into herself. One of Ben’s large hands suddenly covered the screen and gently pushed down, forcing the phone down into her lap. He left his hand where it was, apparently trying to keep her from reading the text anymore.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Ben soothed, his voice unbearably soft and understanding. Rey wasn’t sure how he did it. He had every right to be upset with her as much as she had jabbed at him and had been rude to him all night, yet, he remained ever gentle and patient. “Rey, what’s wrong?” His voice once again broke her from her thoughts.

“Work,” was all she said. She half expected him to snap in annoyance with the answer that told him nothing, but, unsurprisingly, he remained quiet, waiting. “I guess two people quit, right before the holidays, and now I’ll be working overtime. I was already scheduled to work about forty hours every week, but now I’ll be working probably at least fifty. She wants me to work ten hours each day this weekend, but I already had plans and-”

“Rey,” Ben cut her rant off.

Rey gasped in a breath, suddenly realizing that her words had been coming out faster and faster and that she hadn’t taken a single breath during her short tirade.

“Hey,” Ben said softly, tapping her forearm gently, his hand still over her phone. “You’ll be okay,” he tried to reassure her. He rubbed his thumb across her forearm gently in a comforting manner. “What were you going to do this weekend?” 

Rey’s cheeks suddenly flushed and she barely got her words out. “Volunteer.” It was a half-truth. She was planning to volunteer at the shelter, but she had been making other plans as well.

“And?”

Rey quickly looked up, her red eyes meeting calm but concerned whiskey ones. “And?” she asked, confused.

“I can tell there’s something else, Rey.” She swallowed but didn’t speak. “Were you wanting to go to Poe and Finn’s place?” He tried. “I’m sure they’d understand, Rey. And if you still wanted to go, I’m sure they’d let you crash at their place.”

Rey shook her head. His guess had been wrong, but she wasn’t going to tell him that. “I won’t be able to meet after work on weekdays anymore,” she pouted. Her eyes dropped from Ben’s large eyes down to his chest, but she could still feel his gaze going through her.

Rey jerked at the unexpected sound of Ben’s laugh. “Rey,” he sounded exasperated in an amused way. Rey’s shoulders raised to her ears, and she could hear Ben’s laughter die down. “Rey,” he said again, much softer this time, “We can still meet, whenever you want; I’ll go around your schedule.” Rey kept her eyes trained on his middle, unwilling to meet his gaze. “I’m always free in the evenings and on the weekends.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Rey finally spoke, her voice brittle.

“It’s alright,” Ben reassured her. “I want to. Besides, it gives me a break from working myself to death, remember?” Rey offered him a weak, broken chuckle. “And like you said, it’ll only be for a few weeks. I’m sure good ol’ Betsy will be able to trick a few poor souls into working there.” Rey chuckled again, her chest less tight this time. She used the hand not covered by Ben’s to wipe at her eyes, trying to clear them.

Just as Rey began to calm down, her phone dinged again, the sharp sound echoing loudly in the small space. Rey flinched, but she made no move to read the text that she was sure was from her boss. Betsy had already ruined her plans for the weekend and pretty much the whole month. What more could she want?

“Rey?” She shook her head at the unspoken question. When Ben spoke again, he sounded unsure, “Want me to read it?” Rey sighed in relief and nodded. “Alright, one second.”

Ben lifted Rey’s hand from the phone then gently set the hand back in her lap while he pulled the phone into his own lap. Once the phone was in his lap, he returned his hand to Rey’s forearm and continued to rub his thumb up and down her arm. 

Rey waited in the tense quiet, anticipating what else her boss could ask of her. Rey had been planning to ask Ben if he wanted to go to one of her favorite restaurants, an Italian place with ridiculous portion sizes. One thing she had learned over the two months she’d spent with Ben was that he could inhale any food you gave him then go for another dinner immediately after. He was a bottomless pit. She’d hoped that after the dinner, he would take the hint and understand that she didn’t plan on leaving any time soon. But now that was all gone.

“What’d she say?” Rey finally asked, her anxiety getting the better of her.

“It’s good, actually,” Ben reassured her. Rey tilted her head up slightly, looking up through her wet lashes at him. “She said that she knows someone who wanted a cashier position, so she has to train them this weekend. So,” Ben drew out the word slightly, “that means you’ll only be working your usual three to ten shift this weekend.” Ben suddenly released her forearm, and Rey was about to protest, but Ben quickly set his hand on her shoulder, rubbing gently up and down her upper arm with his hand. “She also said that she had, note, not two, but three people that called her before she could leave the store tonight that wanted a position.”

“How’d they-?”

“My guess, the people who quit probably told their friends that they were planning to do so.”

Rey huffed a breath. “Huh, that actually makes sense.”

“See,” Ben reassured her. “You’ve still got the morning this weekend where you can volunteer, and you can still hang out with Poe and Finn at night.” Ben rubbed her arm one more time before stilling his hand, opting to use his thumb to rub circles into her shoulder. “See, it all worked out.”

“Yeah, but-” her voice was rough again before it dropped. Regio’s closed at eleven on the weekends, and they didn’t open until four. They’re short hours kept them constantly busy from opening to closing, but it also resulted in Rey not being able to eat at her favorite restaurant as often as she’d like. In fact, it had been over six months since her last dinner at Regio’s. 

“What?” Ben asked, confusion clear on his face.

“I was making plans for this weekend. I was supposed to work the morning on Saturday so I-” she stopped mid sentence, not wanting Ben to know about her now canceled plans. “I was making plans to go to a restaurant, but they close at eleven, and by the time we’d get there…” Rey shook her head. “It doesn’t matter anymore.”

Ben suddenly dropped his gaze to his lap. “Maybe,” he started, but he never finished the sentence, instead only looking down at his hand in his lap that still held Rey’s phone. “Well,” he started his second attempt, “There are still things open after ten.”

Rey rolled her eyes, taking out her annoyance on the closest person. “Like what?”

Ben shrugged. “Bars, clubs, theaters, I mean- we are in New York.”

Rey nodded. “Yeah, but this restaurant is my favorite, and I don’t want to go to any bars or clubs. Besides, I don’t think they’d want to, either.” Rey hoped Ben didn’t pick up on the hint. “I’ll probably spend the night pouting on my couch watching ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ while getting wine drunk.”

Ben shook his head. “Nothing sounds good? I’m sure whoever you were going out with would still like to go somewhere.”

“I hadn’t told them yet.”

“The point still stands,” Ben countered. “And if they don’t, that’s their loss.” Rey chuckled at that; if only he knew. Ben glanced down quickly, then out the windshield, then back down, his thumb rubbing quicker against Rey’s shoulder. Ben suddenly took a deep breath, his thumb slowing its motion, and he looked up, meeting Rey’s eyes. “Are you still wanting to go out this weekend?”

Something began to glow deep in Rey’s chest. Maybe, just maybe, he was getting Rey’s hints. “I’m sure Poe and Finn would go wherever you want to.” That little light was instantly crushed, and Rey knew the disappointment was apparent on her face. “No?” Ben asked, clearly confused.

Ben shifted in his seat, and his thumb began to rub a little faster again. “Well, I’d go wherever you want to, if you’d like,” Ben finally offered, his voice shaking slightly at the beginning.

That little light began to glow again, but Rey was more protective of it this time around. “Don’t feel like you have to,” she muttered.

“No,” Ben replied quickly. “I want to. Promise.” He gave her a small but warm smile. “What about a movie?” Rey smiled, prepared to answer, but Ben quickly cut her off. “No, nevermind. That’s a stupid idea. I’m sure you don’t want popcorn for dinner-”

“Ben,” Rey said lightly, tapping his knee that was buried against the middle divider of her car. Ben instantly stopped speaking and looked at her with large, expecting eyes. “I’d love to go to the movies with you.”

Ben let out a relieved chuckle and gave Rey the brightest smile she’d seen on his face over the previous two months. “Really?” Ben asked, sounding both surprised and hopeful.

Rey laughed at the question, causing Ben to flinch and for his smile to falter. Rey quickly shook her head and said, “No, no. Seriously,” she continued, her tone turning serious, “I want to go to the movies with you.”

Ben raised a questioning eyebrow, doubt apparent on his face. “Then why’d you laugh?”

Rey chuckled, softer this time, as not to unintentionally offend. “I was beginning to wonder how many hints and months it would take.”

Both of Ben’s dark eyebrows shot up, quickly followed by a fierce flush on his pale cheeks. “Oh,” his voice had gone so soft Rey had barely heard the word. “I- uh- I thought it was one-sided. I didn’t want to assume.” The words were rushed quickly from his lungs, and he sounded more nervous than he had on their first coffee ‘date’.

Rey smiled at him fondly. “So, what movie do you want to see?”

“What do you like?”

“I will watch anything but rom-coms,” Rey replied, making a sour face. “I’ve seen plenty of those with Poe and Finn. They’re just not my thing.”

Ben laughed at that. “I was hoping you’d say something along those lines.” Rey chuckled at his words causing Ben’s smile to warm. “How about ‘Black Star’?”

“Sounds familiar, which one is it?” Rey asked.

“It’s a space movie. Some astronauts get stranded in space. There’s aliens. That’s all I know.”

Rey laughed. “Alright, stranded astronaut-alien space movie it is, then.”

Ben smiled fondly at her, and Rey dropped her gaze to her lap, her cheeks flushed pink. “I’ll order tickets when I get home. I’ll text you the time.”

“I can pay you-”

Ben held up a hand, and Rey instantly halted her words. “Don’t worry about it, alright? Business has been going well; I’ve got plenty of money saved up, and I want to. Okay?” Rey reluctantly nodded. “If it makes you feel better, I’m sure you’ll come up with some way to pay back the favor later.”

Ben’s words did cause Rey to relax. “Alright, deal.” 

Ben settled back in his seat, releasing a long, relieved sigh. He turned so he was more on his back than his side, causing his arm to fall from Rey’s shoulder. Rey didn’t say anything, though, because it was clear in the way Ben moved in the seat that he was only trying to get comfortable- or, at least as comfortable as his long limbs would allow. Rey saw him close his eyes and release another long breath, looking so relieved that Rey felt something in her chest crack in sympathy. 

Just as she was about to say something comforting, her phone’s text alert ringed loud from Ben’s lap. Ben frowned as he looked down at the phone, then he looked over at Rey, his eyes questioning. Rey just nodded.

Ben lifted the phone, which was thankfully still unlocked, and read the text. Rey’s heart was racing. They’d just made plans, and in doing so jumped some hurdle that both had previously been too scared to do so before. Just as Rey’s anxiety was reaching its peak, Ben let out a relieved sigh.

“It’s alright,” Ben reassured her. “She just said that she meant to send the first text earlier but forgot to hit send.” Rey let out a relieved huff of a laugh that sounded more hysterical than she had intended it to. Ben rested an arm on the middle divider and set his hand on Rey’s forearm. “She just wanted to clarify that you’ll be working more hours, just not as many as the first text led you to believe.”

Rey let out a final sigh of relief and closed her eyes. She felt exhausted and wrung-out. It was only the middle of the week, but it had felt like a month. How was she going to make it to Saturday night?

Ben’s thumb rubbed against the soft underside of Rey’s forearm, his grip slightly firmer than earlier, but Rey found it comforting. “You alright?” Ben asked.

Rey nodded and opened her eyes, instantly meeting Ben’s own whiskey ones that seemed impossibly dark in the dim lighting of her car. “Yeah, just tired. It’s been a long week, and the past thirty minutes have been a bit of a rollercoaster.”

Ben nodded and offered a small smile. “That’s one way of putting it.” Rey chuckled and shook her head.

Silence fell between them, but it wasn’t awkward like the other silences had been. Ben’s hand on her arm and his quiet breaths in the seat next to her were comforting, and the look of peace on his face caused another crack in her chest. 

As comfortable as she was, she knew it had to be late, and both of them needed to get ready for work the next morning. Rey forced herself to look at the clock on her car to see that it was a quarter to midnight. “Shit,” she cursed beneath her breath. Ben turned his head at the sound, one eyebrow raised in silent questioning. “I didn’t realize how late it was,” Rey explained.

Ben’s eyes moved to the side to read the clock, but to Rey’s surprise, he only shrugged once he read the time. “It’s alright. I’m used to late nights.”

Ben shifted a bit in his seat, sitting up a little more. He caught Rey’s phone before it slipped from his thigh to the pit between the seat and divider. He handed the phone over to her before moving a bit more in his seat, clearly uncomfortable. He unzipped his jacket and pushed hair out of his face, and Rey suddenly realized that the heat had been on the entire time. She reached to the middle console and turned the heat down to low. If she was warm, she was sure that Ben was absolutely melting. 

“You alright?” Ben asked her suddenly.

Rey nodded. “Yeah, I’m much better.” Rey dropped her eyes down, this time her gaze landed on his shoulder and upper arm. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Ben replied. There was a pause before he spoke again. “I- uh, should probably get going. We’ve both got work in the morning.”

Rey nodded reluctantly. “Yeah, probably,” she agreed.

Ben opened his car door, and the cold quickly made itself known. Rey burrowed deeper into her hoodie while Ben sighed in relief as the cool air blew over him. Ben used the car door as leverage to get out. To Rey’s surprise, he managed to not hit his head on the way out, but he did stumble as soon as he had both feet beneath him on the blacktop.

Rey leaned towards the open door and asked loudly against the wind, “You alright?”

Ben nodded, one hand on his left knee. “Yeah, my leg just fell asleep,” he explained a bit awkwardly. “Sorry.”

Rey waved away the unnecessary apology. “Don’t be. You’re fine.”

Ben bent and straightened his knee a few times before setting his foot back down and putting his full weight on both legs. Ben leaned back down so that he could see into the car. There was a small but genuine smile on his face. “Goodnight, Rey.”

Rey returned the smile. “Goodnight, Ben.”

Ben disappeared from Rey’s sight as he stood to his full height. He moved out of the way of the door and quickly shut it, firmly but not slamming. Rey watched him walk over to his car just a few spots down from her own car. Rey chuckled at the sight of Ben hobbling to his car, his long legs and frame obviously stiff and sore from sitting in Rey’s small car. 

The headlights of Ben’s Ford Focus flashed on as his car groaned to life. Rey remembered Ben saying that the Wendy’s was about twenty minutes from his apartment, so he obviously lived further from here than she did. Guilt came over her as she remembered the time, but she also knew that Ben didn’t mind. It wasn’t likely that he would’ve been asleep at this time anyway if Rey hadn’t texted him. Because of the further distance he had to travel, she let him leave the parking lot first, even though she knew it didn’t really make a difference.

She saw Ben’s silhouette wave to her from inside his car before he pulled out of his parking space. Rey returned his wave then watched him leave.

Now, sitting alone in her car, the night felt dreadfully quiet and lonely. 

[Ben]

The main room was full of noise from every cubicle having both an employee and a client, and Ben was ready to slam his head against his desk to make it stop. He should enjoy the noise because the noise meant business which meant income for him, his business, and his employees, but holy shit was he at his wits’ end. 

He had just finished dealing with a client himself, and it had taken every fiber of his self-control to keep from throttling the small man. Ben knew that the client wasn’t trying to be difficult, that he truly didn’t know the information Ben was asking him for, but the conversation had been difficult to get through. Eventually, Ben had gotten all the information that he needed, but the conversation had left him with little hope for humanity and a worsening headache. This, he knew, was mostly his fault. He had slept only four hours that night, and the only thing currently in his stomach was coffee, coffee, and some more coffee. Now, his head throbbed and his stomach turned, simultaneously wanting nothing and something solid.

Daring a glance at the clock, he saw that he only had twenty minutes until closing, and that the clients in the main room would be gone in less than ten minutes. The struggle was going to be surviving those last ten minutes.

Slowly, those ten minutes crawled by, and the main room of the business settled into the quiet shuffling of his employees preparing to leave for the weekend. It was December and Ben knew that his employees likely had plans for every weekend until the new year. Ben, so far, had one plan, but it was an improvement from his usual zero.

Ben heard a knock against the doorframe of his office. He didn’t bother looking up, instead opting to reply, “Yes?”

“Well, isn’t someone in a good mood?”

Ben rolled his eyes and kept his gaze on the bill he was reading. “What do you need, Debbie?”

Debbie’s footsteps were quiet as she walked across the carpet, not stopping until she stood directly across from him at his desk. “Were you planning on having a Christmas party?”

“Hm,” Ben hummed, the sound coming mostly from his chest. “I haven’t decided. It depends if you guys want one.”

Ben had hardly gotten the words out when Debbie replied hastily with, “Yes, we do.”

Ben sighed and rubbed at his forehead. “Is that what everyone wants?”

“Yeah.” 

That wasn’t Debbie. 

Ben turned his chair, finding that all of his employees were gathered in his doorway. Ben withheld his sigh of aggravation. “You guys actually want an office party?”

Debbie replied before anyone else could. “Well, we’re a small office, so we all know each other pretty well. It would be nice to celebrate the holidays together.”

“Alright,” Ben sighed. “We can have one.” Debbie’s face lit up, and he could see a few of his other employees celebrating as well. Who in their right mind wanted an office party?

“Oh, good,” Debbie finally replied, her voice shaking with excitement. “We still need to decorate this place for the holidays, and we-”

Debbie continued talking, but Ben had no clue what she was saying. He saw his employees slowly file out of the room, leaving just Debbie, still babbling, and Ben in the room.

Ben leaned back in his office chair and closed his eyes. “Debbie, please,” Ben interrupted her. “One thing at a time.”

He heard Debbie’s monologue come to an unexpected and abrupt end.

“Oh, don’t tell me you’re a scrooge,” Debbie started, sounding genuinely irritated.

“I’m not,” Ben replied. “Business is picking up and I’m trying to stay ahead of it,” he explained, and he knew his voice betrayed just how tired he was. “I will decorate and prepare for the party, but just not at this moment.”

The space between them was quiet, and Ben was afraid that he had said something to piss the older woman off. He cracked open one eye to find Debbie watching him, concern obvious on her face. 

“I’ll tell you what. I can do the decorating and the party planning.”

Ben opened both of his eyes. “I have decorations in the back closet. If there’s anything else you want for the office, you can buy it and I’ll pay you back the money. Would you be able to go shopping tomorrow?” Debbie’s eyes lit up and she quickly nodded. “Great. We can put up the decorations tomorrow when you finish shopping- if you’d like.”

Debbie was nearly bouncing when she replied, “Yes! I won’t be able to go shopping until eleven or noon, though, but after that I have all day. I’m just going to assume that you’re available all day.”

Ben shrugged. “I’m available until 9:30. Surely we won’t take that long.”

Debbie raised an eyebrow, looking thoroughly amused. “Plans?” she asked, her voice painfully hopeful.

Ben sighed. “I’ll tell you about it tomorrow.” He rose from his chair with a groan and reached under his desk for his backpack. “Not tonight. I have a date with my bed for the rest of the day.”  
Ben turned off his computer and shut the blinds to the large window behind his desk.

“You look like you need it,” Debbie replied.

Ben slung his bag over his shoulder and left his office, flicking the light off as he went. Debbie was on his heels and going on about some decoration she had seen at Target. He did catch a bit of her tirade about his limited supply of Christmas decorations in the back closet, but he wasn’t really listening.

Ben opened the front door to his business, the cold breeze immediately coming into the large room. He could hear Debbie bustling behind him, shoving stuff into her purse that already seemed past the point of bursting, but Ben didn’t point that out to her.

“Alright, alright, I’m ready, now,” Debbie replied, seemingly short of air as she shuffled up behind him. Ben stood out of her way so she could begin her fast shuffle to her car before she froze half to death, or at least that’s what she believed. Ben rolled his eyes, too tired to feel his usual amusement, and locked the doors of his business before starting the trek to his own car.

As he walked, the main thing he thought about was just how tired he was and just how much he wanted to never move again. Of course, he was being a tad dramatic in his sour mood; although, the thought of never having to have a meeting with another client and do all of the work for them did sound enticing. However, he guessed never moving again did have its downsides, like no more coffee runs and no more Rey. He figured the positives of free movement outweighed the negatives, even if just narrowly.

[Rey]

Rey stirred the pasta in her dented pot, her stomach growling in anticipation of the spaghetti that was still in the works. On the counter next to the stove, her phone was playing the ‘Today’s Top 100’ playlist, and she felt old as did not recognize most of the songs in the playlist.

Suddenly, her phone stopped playing a pop song Rey had never heard, and instead began ringing. Rey looked away from her pasta and to the phone which informed her that Poe was calling. She tapped the screen, answering the call. “Hey, Poe.”

“Hey,” Poe replied. “Did you figure out your schedule for this weeked.”

The last Poe had heard, Wednesday night, was that Rey’s work schedule had been messed up due to employees leaving and the training of new ones. She had been planning to get back to him so they could make plans, but she had forgotten, obviously.

“Yeah. I’m free Sunday night, if that works for you.” She’d give them one night this weekend, but the other night was already reserved.

“Yeah, that works. We’ve already got a movie picked out,” Poe continued, “I think you’ll like it.”

Rey rolled her eyes. “Is it another rom-com?”

Silence stretched for a total of three seconds before Poe couldn’t take it anymore. “Maybe.” Rey sighed, and Poe quickly chimed in to defend himself. “Hey, this one is good, really. Finn said that between the three we were choosing from, this would be the one that you would find the most tolerable. I think it has something to do with cars.”

“They’re going to get everything wrong.”

Poe sighed. “Well, we’ll listen to your rants, if that makes you feel better.”

“Fine,” Rey caved, “It’s a date.” Rey heard a faint yes over the phone, but she quickly added a warning, “But, I will be complaining, a lot, so be prepared for that.”

“Alright, we’ll begin preparation immediately.”

Rey shook her head. “You’re a dork.”

Poe was starting to speak again, but Rey cut him off. “Hey, my pasta’s almost done. I’m gonna let you go. I’ll talk to you later, alright?”

Thankfully, Poe didn’t sound offended when he replied, “Alright, sounds good. See you later, Rey.”

“See ya,” she returned before ending the call. Rey sighed and went back to her music app, resuming the playlist. 

She and Poe had come to a truce after their argument that had been over a month ago. Rey told him to stay out of it, and even though Poe did not seem thrilled with the idea of leaving it alone, he eventually agreed. When they volunteered, or when Rey was at their place during the weekend, neither of them spoke of Ben. Rey knew that this couldn’t continue forever, especially if Ben continued to stick around, but it worked well enough for the moment.

When Poe would leave the apartment to go pick up the food they had ordered, Finn would ask about Ben. He’d ask how he was, what they did, and if Ben was dense because of the constantly missed hints. Rey knew that Finn did not approve of Ben either, but he was aware that he could not control the decisions Rey made. Rey appreciated his efforts, but sometimes she wished he would just say nothing at all because he could not always keep his disapproval and judgement to himself. Rey knew their disapproval Ben came at least partially from their protectiveness of her, but she did not want it.

The sound of aggressive bubbling caught Rey’s attention, and she turned just in time to see a bit of water running over her pot. “Shit,” she cursed as she used a mitt to pull the pot to the side and off the hot burner. She was getting distracted more and more easily these past few weeks, and the reason behind it was obvious. She just hoped that after the date, she’d be able to function better, no longer as nervous to break the new and fragile thing between her and Ben. She doubted it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> I am once again busy with classes, so I have no idea when the next update will be. But don't worry, I'll be back eventually; I really want to continue writing this fic.   
> Until the next time- stay warm and safe!


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